Francisco de Zurbarán's Saint Lucy and Spanish Baroque Realism

Speaker: Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank

Saint Lucy Reimagined

This video focuses on Francisco de Zurbarán's painting Saint Lucy, a notable example of Spanish Baroque realism from 1625–30. This sacred artwork is notable for its striking realism, with dramatic lighting and detailed textures. She holds her eyeballs on a plate before her, symbols of her identity. Learn more about Zurbarán's Saint Lucy and early modern Spain in this video.

Francisco de Zurbarán, Saint Lucy

c. 1625/1630, oil on canvas, overall: 104.14 × 77 cm (41 × 30 5/16 in.). National Gallery, Washington, D.C. Photo: © Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank

Video chapters

0:00 Spanish Baroque realism

0:39 A Spanish noblewoman?

1:00 The legend of Saint Lucy and her eyeballs

2:27 Zurbarán's visual choices

3:23 Sacred images and 17th-century Spain

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