St. Thomas of Villanueva dividing his clothes among beggar boys c. 1667

Bartolomé Estebán Murillo made this oil painting, St. Thomas of Villanueva dividing his clothes among beggar boys. Murillo has used traditional materials of canvas, oil, and pigment to depict a scene of charity. The painting's materiality influences its appearance through texture and light, with a restricted palette of browns, whites, and blacks. The painting's composition draws our eyes to the figures, especially the distribution of clothing among the less fortunate. Murillo's skillful handling of the oil paint, and the ways in which he has built up thin layers of glaze, give it a warmth and depth of tone. We can feel the artist's engagement with the materiality of paint. This creative process is imbued with social significance, reflecting the charitable act of clothing the naked, while reminding us of the social and economic context of 17th-century Spain and the vast inequalities. Murillo elevates the act of giving through his skilled artistry. We are challenged to consider the painting not only as a work of art but as a commentary on the material conditions of its time.