St Paschal Baylon's Vision of the Eucharist

WALL LABEL: St Paschal Baylon's Vision of the Eucharist, c.1700

Until quite recently, this work was misidentified as St Francis of Assisi and was said to have been made in the late sixteenth century. In fact, rather than being a depiction of Assisi, this embroidery technique is known as ‘Assisi work’ or ‘Assisi embroidery’ and the figure is St Paschal, who was not canonised until 1690, meaning that the embroidery was probably worked around that time.

The embroidery, a combination of delicate silk long stitch and various pieces of applique, has undergone extensive repair and restoration, which is evident across the surface of the work. In the 1960s the work was sent to London to be conserved and it was then that the entire surface was covered with couching stitch. This couching has in fact saved the remaining original sections of embroidery, but it was executed such that it had a detrimental effect on the aesthetic of the piece.

Tansy Curtin, Curator of International Art Pre-1980