We acknowledge the Gadigal, the traditional custodians of the Country on which the Art Gallery of New South Wales stands.

Breath of Faith The Living Sculpture of Pedro de Mena

Sculpture of a robed religious figure holding a crucifix.

Pedro de Mena Saint Francis of Assisi 1677 (detail), Art Gallery of New South Wales

Encounter the making of a Baroque saint by a Spanish master carver, and exquisite prints by his contemporaries

Breath of Faith The Living Sculpture of Pedro de Mena

9 October 2026 – 2027

Art Gallery of New South Wales

Naala Nura building

Ground level, Grand Courts

Free

Pedro de Mena (1628–88) was one of the leading sculptors of the Spanish Baroque period, celebrated for his intensely realistic and emotionally powerful figures, which were produced as aids to devotion.

The Art Gallery’s recently acquired Saint Francis of Assisi 1677 is a masterpiece of polychrome wood sculpture. Its creation involved a complex process of carving, assembly and painting, designed to produce a striking illusion of living presence.

Drawing on the results of a recent technical imaging study using X-radiography and CT scanning, this display shines a spotlight on Mena’s lifelike sculpture and unravels its ingenious construction.

For the first time, visitors can see what lies hidden beneath Saint Francis’s fluidly carved exterior and vividly painted surface. A selection of engravings depicting Francis and other saints highlights their central role in Baroque art.

Sculpture of a robed religious figure holding a crucifix.

Pedro de Mena Saint Francis of Assisi 1677, Art Gallery of New South Wales

X-ray of a figurative sculpture revealing arms, hands and internal nails

X-radiographs of Pedro de Mena’s Saint Francis of Assisi

X-ray of a figurative sculpture revealing arms, hands and internal nails

X-radiographs of Pedro de Mena’s Saint Francis of Assisi

Kneeling robed man raising one hand toward the sky

Hieronyumus Wierix after Maarten de Vos Saint Francis receiving the stigmata c1580–1619, Art Gallery of New South Wales

Kneeling man offering baby Jesus to a standing woman, with cherubs in the sky.

Cornelis Visscher after Peter Paul Rubens Saint Francis receiving the infant Christ c1655-60, Art Gallery of New South Wales

Kneeling robed man raising one hand toward the sky

Claude Mellan The ecstasy of Saint Ignatius c1650–67, Art Gallery of New South Wales