St. Aloysius Gonzaga

St. Aloysius Gonzaga

St. Aloysius Gonzaga

Name/Title

St. Aloysius Gonzaga

Entry/Object ID

2008.17.1

Description

Spanish Colonial Painting of St. Aloysius Gonzaga in ornate Baroque gilt frame.

Artwork Details

Medium

Oil, Gilt

Made/Created

Time Period

18th Century

Dimensions

Dimension Description

Copper

Height

18 in

Dimension Description

Frame

Height

32-1/2 in

Width

26 in

Interpretative Labels

Label

St. Aloysius Gonzaga is the patron saint of students, making this a fitting portrait for Saint Joseph’s University’s art collection. Aloysius was a 16th-c. Italian aristocrat, who at a young age rejected his wealth and joined the Society of Jesus. Depicted as a young man, Aloysius wears the white vestment of the Jesuit novitiate and adores a crucifix, symbolic of his pious sacrifice. Other attributes include a lily, a reference to his chastity, and a discarded coronet (crown) signifying the rejection of his noble life. San Luis Gonzaga es el santo patrón de los estudiantes y por ello una acertadísima obra para formar parte de la colección de St. Joseph University. Luis Gonzaga fue un aristócrata italiano del siglo XVI que a temprana edad rechaza su riqueza y se incorpora a la Sociedad de Jesús. El santo aparece representado como un joven vestido con el hábito blanco del noviciado de los Jesuitas y adorando un crucifijo, símbolos de su devoción y sacrificio. Otros atributos incluyen la azucena, referente de castidad; y la coronilla dejada a un lado, símbolo de su rechazo a la vida entre nobles.