PROPERTY FROM THE DON BENITO J. LEGARDA JR. COLLECTION

ABOUT THE WORK

San Vicente Ferrer was once a very popular saint in the Philippines, and images of him in the Popular, Classical and Ornate styles are found all over the archipelago. A Dominican friar and preacher from Valencia, Spain, he was regarded as the “Angelic Preacher”, as well as patron of orators, and thinkers. He is depicted in Dominican robes, one hand holding a book, the other with a finger pointed to heaven. His most significant attribute are his wings, an allusion to the celestial quality of his preaching, as well as the miraculous ability to fly off during sermons to minister to the sick. He was canonized in 1455, and his cult was made famous by the Dominican preachers when they reached the islands. Perhaps very few of his devotees knew of Vicente Ferrer’s real importance in church history. He lived during the Western Schism, a period of great polarization within the Catholic church. Two popes divided all of Christendom with Clement VII ruling from Avignon in France, and Urban VI in Rome. Disillusioned by the politics of the church, Vicente continued to preach throughout Europe until his death. In terms of its bulk, proportion and execution, this piece from the Legarda collection is a very fine example of a San Vicente in the Classical style. Though missing one hand and the wings, it remains whole and integral. The face, with its soulful, animated expression, and the tonsure are very sensitively carved. The saint is depicted standing on a globe.