Date of Award

5-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master in Art History and Visual Culture

Department

Art

First Advisor

Caroline Paganussi

Second Advisor

Sarah Cantor

Third Advisor

Sara Berkowitz

Comments

This thesis examines the role of Francisco de Zurbarán’s Baroque paintings in reflecting and actively shaping early modern constructions of masculinity and virtud (virtue). Through a focused analysis of The Martyrdom of Saint Serapion (1628) and The Appearance of Saint Peter to Saint Peter Nolasco (1629), it explores how Zurbarán’s works articulate ideals of male identity rooted in spiritual devotion, moral fortitude, and sacrificial duty.

Both paintings were commissioned for the Mercedarian Order, a religious community dedicated to the redemption of Christian captives and the embodiment of selfless service. By embedding the Mercedarian ideals of sacrifice, humility, and steadfastness into the visual representation of their saints, Zurbarán advances a model of masculinity inseparable from religious mission and moral virtue. His distinctive use of chiaroscuro and tenebrism functions not merely as stylistic flourish, but as a deliberate visual language through which these aspirational masculine ideals are constructed and exalted.

By situating The Martyrdom of Saint Serapion and The Appearance of Saint Peter to Saint Peter Nolasco within the theological, cultural, and institutional framework of the Mercedarian Order, this study contends that Zurbarán’s imagery does not simply reflect prevailing notions of masculinity, but actively participates in their formation. His work offers a profound insight into the performative and aspirational dimensions of virtud in early modern Spain, revealing the ways in which art served both religious devotion and the cultivation of exemplary male identity.

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