Saint Dominic in Penitence 1602 - 1612

Filippo Tarchiani’s “Saint Dominic in Penitence” (1602-1612) depicts the founder of the Dominican Order in a moment of intense prayer. The painting, now housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, presents Dominic kneeling, bare-chested, with his hands clasped and a scourge at his side. The scene, lit by a single source of light, emphasizes Dominic's devotion and self-mortification, a central tenet of the Dominican Order. Tarchiani’s mastery of Baroque tenebrism, which uses stark contrasts between light and shadow, heightens the emotional impact of the image.