Saint Rosalie Interceding for the Plague-stricken of Palermo

About this artwork

In 1624, Flemish Baroque master Anthony van Dyck created *Saint Rosalie Interceding for the Plague-stricken of Palermo*, an oil-on-canvas masterpiece now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Paintings collection. During his influential stay in Genoa, Italy (1621–1627), van Dyck captured the dramatic intercession of Palermo's patron saint, Saint Rosalie—a Benedictine nun whose relics were rediscovered that very year amid a devastating plague outbreak. The painting vividly portrays Rosalie, surrounded by playful putti (cherubs), gazing protectively over the afflicted city below, embodying hope and divine mercy in a time of crisis. Van Dyck's Baroque style shines through in his masterful use of chiaroscuro—bold contrasts of light and shadow—that heightens emotional intensity and draws the eye to Rosalie's serene yet powerful figure. The rich, luminous oils on canvas allow for velvety textures in drapery and flesh tones, hallmarks of his elegant portraiture adapted to religious themes. This work reflects the era's fervent devotion to saints as plague protectors, with Rosalie's cult surging after Palermo's epidemic subsided, credited to her intervention. A poignant reminder of resilience, this 39¼ × 29-inch canvas (purchased by the Met in 1871) invites visitors to ponder faith's role in humanity's darkest hours.