Girolamo Siciolante da Sermoneta, St. Remigius Baptizes King Clovis

16th century
Fresco
St. Remigius Chapel, Church of San Luigi dei Francesi

This is one of a set of large frescoes in the chapel by Siciolante and Jacopino del Conte tracing the conversion of Clovis and his court to the Christian faith.

In the Golden Legend Clovis asks St. Remigius for baptism, but the saint finds that he has none of the oil that is needed in baptism for the chrismation of the candidate. Suddenly a dove comes from Heaven bearing a flask of oil. The same oil continued to be used for all subsequent royal coronations.

In the fresco, we see Remigius reaching for the flask with his right hand while Clovis kneels before him, stripped to the waist.

Read more about St. Remigius.

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