Zurbarán at the Louvre: Saint Bonaventure’s body
The Louvre opens a major retrospective on 7 October 2026 devoted to Francisco de Zurbarán, one of the leading Spanish painters of the 17th century. Among the works on view, The Exposition of the Body of Saint Bonaventure, recently restored, marks the early stage of his career.
Shown in the exhibition Zurbarán, 1598-1664 at the Musée du Louvre until 25 January 2027, the painting immediately stands out for the way it structures the scene. The saint’s body becomes the focus of a restrained composition, where light, folds of fabric and volume carry as much meaning as the religious subject itself.
For artists and painting lovers, its interest also lies in what it reveals about Zurbarán’s craft. The recent restoration makes it easier to read the paint surface, the contrasts between textures and the precision of the execution, all signs of a painting built with great discipline.
The exhibition offers a clear entry point into a key moment in Spanish painting without reducing Zurbarán to his religious themes. It reveals a gaze able to hold physical presence, silence and inner tension together, and that balance is what still makes the work compelling today.
Source : Le Journal des Arts