St Anthony of Padua Healing a Youth

This 1695 Saint Anthony of Padua Healing a Youth at the Louvre depicts one of the Franciscan saint's many miracles documented in his hagiography. Anthony of Padua, the Portuguese-born friar who died in Italy in 1231 and was canonized the following year, was among the most popular saints in Catholic devotion — invoked for lost objects, miraculous healing, and general intercession. Ricci's early treatment demonstrates his developing mastery of devotional figure composition, the miracle scene combining the saint's concentrated spiritual power with the youth's physical recovery in an interaction legible across cultural boundaries.

The healing miracle is rendered with Ricci's characteristic warm palette and fluid brushwork, the contrast between the afflicted youth and the confident saint creating a dramatic focal point within the luminous composition.