Mural paintings from the Herrera Chapel. Dedicated to Saint Didacus of Alcalá
In 1602 the Spanish nobleman Juan Enríquez de Herrera dedicated a chapel in the church of San Giacomo degli Spagnoli in Rome to the Franciscan Saint Didacus of Alcalà. The mural decoration, with scenes from the life of this saint, was commissioned from the famous Bolognese painter Annibale Carracci. In 1604 this master began designing all the preparatory cartoons, but he became ill while personally directing the work on the ground. The work was finished by his collaborators, amongst whom were Giovanni Lanfranco, Sisto Badalocchio and Francesco Albani. In the mid-nineteenth century the frescos were removed and transferred to canvas and are now distributed between the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya and the Museo del Prado.
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Long-term loan from the Reial Acadèmia Catalana de Belles Arts de Sant Jordi, 1902; acquired 1906