Saint Philip Neri (1515–1595)

Carlo Dolci's Saint Philip Neri from 1645-46 portrays the beloved Florentine saint who founded the Oratorian order and was canonized in 1622. Dolci, the most devout painter of 17th-century Florence, was perfectly suited to depict Philip Neri, whose joyful, accessible spirituality mirrored Dolci's own intensely personal devotional art. Dolci's images of saints were prized by the Medici and sought by collectors across Europe for their jewel-like refinement.

Dolci's oil-on-canvas technique is characterized by his extraordinarily smooth, polished brushwork and luminous, enamel-like surface finish. The meticulous rendering of the saint's features and the soft, suffused lighting create an atmosphere of rapt devotional intensity.