Vilnius, 1st half of the 19th c.

The painting depicts St Vincent de Paul, the founder of the communities of the Congregation of the Mission, often referred to as The Lazarists, and Daughters of Charity. He is depicted during a liturgy with a white surplice and an embroidered stole, holding a crucifix in his hand. During his sermons, St Vincent de Paul used to preach that the cross is the key source of wisdom and an example of sacrificial love. In this painting, the crucifix is also subtly reminiscent of the Daughters of Charity emblem, which depicts the crucified Saviour with a burning heart in the background. The fact that the piece belonged to the Daughters of Charity is evident from the two nuns painted in the distance in front of a church. It is believed that the painting came to Vilnius Cathedral from the closed Orphanage of the Infant Jesus or the Chapel of St Vincent de Paul, which used to be located within the hospital on Savičiaus Street.