Where can I see this painting?

The work displayed at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, Austria. Rosa created several versions of this religious subject during his career.

Who was Saint William of Maleval?

William of Maleval (died 1157) was a medieval hermit saint who founded the Williamite monastic order. He practiced extreme asceticism in a forested valley near Siena, Italy.

Why is the saint wearing armor?

William was a soldier before becoming a hermit. Rosa shows him doing penance in his armor, symbolizing his past life and the spiritual battle of his conversion.

Where Is Hl. Wilhelm Von Maleval Als Büßer? Museum Location

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.