Saint Augustine

Saint Augustine of Hippo was among the most theologically influential figures in the entire history of Christianity: his Confessions and City of God shaped Western theological tradition across fifteen centuries, and his conversion narrative made him a model of intellectual transformation from worldly sin to divine grace. In Counter-Reformation devotional culture Augustine's authority was routinely invoked against Protestant challenges, and his image — typically shown as a bishop with a flaming heart, a book, and sometimes a small child representing the inscrutability of the Trinity — appeared throughout Catholic Europe. Crayer's treatment of 1655, now in the Prado alongside his Baptist and Anthony, forms part of the same series of single devotional saints. The combination of intellectual authority and personal spirituality that defined Augustine made him a favourite subject for painters who wanted to depict the union of learning and faith.

Augustine's episcopal vestments are similar in type to those in Crayer's Triest portrait, but the devotional rather than portrait context shifts the emphasis from individual likeness to spiritual type. The flaming heart — Augustine's primary attribute — provides a warm tonal accent against the cooler bishop's vestments. Crayer's late handling is economical and warm, the brushwork confident without ostentation.