Hl. Wilhelm Von Maleval Als Büßer

Salvator Rosa completed this penitent saint scene around the mid-1640s, depicting William of Maleval in the forested valley near Siena where he lived as a hermit. The medieval saint appears bound to a tree below a crucifix, wearing a suit of armor as he does penance for his past life as a soldier.

William of Maleval died in 1157 and became the founder of the Williamites, a monastic order. According to hagiography, he spent years in extreme ascetic practices in the wilderness before his death. Rosa captures this intensity, showing the saint in a tense, uncomfortable pose while quietly contemplating the cross above him.

Rosa produced several versions and prints of this subject, which proved popular enough that reproductions were being made well into the 18th century. This painting hangs at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, demonstrating Rosa's ability to combine dramatic landscapes with religious subjects in the Baroque tradition.