Temptation of St. Thomas
Diego Velázquez·1632
Historical Context
Velázquez painted the Temptation of St. Thomas Aquinas around 1632, depicting the medieval Dominican theologian's legendary resistance to temptation by a woman sent by his brothers to test him. The subject was unusual in seventeenth-century Spanish painting and may reflect the theological interests of the painting's unknown patron — possibly a Dominican institution. Velázquez's treatment combines the dramatic tenebrism of his Sevillian period, still present in his early Madrid work, with the more polished figure painting he was developing through study of the royal collection. The angel who appears to Thomas, bearing a girdle symbolizing chastity, gives the composition its spiritual climax, contrasting the earthly temptation with divine intervention.
Technical Analysis
The composition contrasts the saint's spiritual resolve with the temptation below, using dramatic lighting to emphasize the supernatural intervention. Velazquez's refined brushwork and warm palette bring dignified restraint to the dramatic subject.
