Saint Thomas of Villanueva (1488–1555), an Augustinian friar who became Archbishop of Valencia in 1544, was canonised during the Spanish Counter Reformation in 1658. He was famous for his charitable works and is shown here giving alms to the poor. Saint Thomas is a common subject in Murillo’s work. The present picture can be dated c.1670 on stylistic grounds, and is remarkable for the way in which the artist combines a monumental religious composition with an exceptional degree of naturalism. In accordance with the teachings of the Counter Reformation, the pitiful gesture of the semi-naked beggar, for example, is meant to arouse compassion in the beholder as it does in the Saint. In turn, Saint Thomas’s act of charity is similarly calculated to inspire admiration and emulation in the viewer.