When Ignatius of Loyola was canonized in 1622, Cardinal Odoardo Farnese commissioned Domenichino to paint the saint’s vision at La Storta as part of a series of ten canvases illustrating his life. Frequently depicted in prints and paintings, the story recounts Ignatius’s crucial journey from Siena to Rome in November 1537, accompanied by two companions, to secure papal approval for his newly established Order of the Society of Jesus, or the Jesuits. At La Storta, ten miles northwest of Rome, Ignatius experienced a profound vision, captured here by Domenichino. In this vision, God the Father entrusted his son, Christ, with the protection of the Order, conveying the words to Ignatius, “ego vobis Romae propitius ero” (I will be favorable to you in Rome). The completed work was displayed in the cardinal’s private chapel annexed to the Gesù, the principal Jesuit church, and the house where Ignatius had lived for many years. The likeness of Ignatius derived from one of the many prints and paintings based on a death mask of the saint.
The painting showcases the artist’s deep understanding of Ignatius’s teachings and the mandates of the Council of Trent, which supported the veneration of saints and promoted the production of their images as learning models for the faithful. The composition is both clear and didactic, employing a diagonal scheme to delineate the earthly and heavenly realms. Saint Ignatius, firmly grounded, serves as a bridge between the viewer and the divine figures in the spiritual realm, portraying earthly individuals experiencing celestial visions.
2024
