Description
Goya represents San Francisco Javier at the moment of his death. The saint was a disciple of Saint Ignatius of Loyola and was a great Jesuit missionary in India and Japan. Here he wears a greyish-brown habit with a scallop shell and a red spot that has been identified with the crab that, according to legend, rescued the saint's crucifix when it fell into the sea, becoming his attribute. The saint holds a crucifix and looks up to heaven, as the story of his death is told, and the expression on his face is particularly striking. The figure of the saint creates an accentuated diagonal, marking its schematic volume, contrasting with his hands, feet and face, which have been executed in greater detail. Above the saint there are two little angels, represented schematically without dwelling on details. In the background we can see the sails of two ships that refer to his work as a missionary in distant lands. The work was an image of private devotion, so Goya has used rapid and vigorous strokes.