Francis Xavier Baptizing in the Far East

Cathedral of St. George Martyr, Ferrara, Italy

Rather than attempting to capture a particular moment in the saint's mission to the east, the artist pictures him with figures from a cross-section of exotic lands. The man being baptized seems to be a generic "savage" of some status. Behind him are a man in an outlandish headpiece and two women in what could be Moslem and Japanese apparel. Francis himself wears the stole, black cassock, and white surplice customary at Catholic baptisms.

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Photographed at the cathedral by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.