Saint Francis Xavier with floral frames.

2 drawings, watercolour and gilding, 38 x 32,6 cm, parchment, mounted on cardboard (some tiny holes in the middle of one drawing).

Two presentations of the venerated Navarrese Catholic missionary and saint who was the co-founder of the Society of Jesus. Depicted here in a typical black cassock. In one drawing Francis Xavier lies back in a dilapidated shed on a rocky outcrop by the sea, holding a cross in his hands and next to a bible in the presence of two cherubs. In the other drawing Francis Xavier in worship next to a cathedra with a bible. At his side, a snake twisted around a globe, eating an apple symbolising the original sin. Both drawings are surrounded by very prominent and remarkable floral decoration. A rich and lush array of flowers from all seasons (roses, lilies, peonies, etc.) occupies the decorative margin, echoing Medieval Flemish traditions of marginal decorations in illuminated manuscripts of the Ghent-Bruges school. The central designs and floral decorative frames are possibly executed by a different hand.