3-002-749 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Saint Anthony of Padua Taking the Habit of the Franciscan Order, c1515-1525. Inside a typical Renaissance church complete with an altarpiece of the Madonna and Child between two saints, Saint Anthony of Padua (born Fernando Martins de Bulhões, 1195-1231), takes his vows as a Franciscan monk. The saint is shown kneeling humbly before his superior who offers the order's distinctive brown habit. According to legend, Anthony was a Dominican before adopting the Franciscan rule, hence the two Dominicans standing behind Anthony holding their dinstictive black and white habit which he has cast off. A group of Franciscans stand at the right and sing in celebration while a group of finely dressed young, presumably representing the rich social environment of Anthony's upbrining in Lisbon, are shown near the door of the church at the left.