Keywords: Cornelis Schut - Francis Xavier baptizing the Indians.jpg Francis Xavier baptizing the Indians oil on canvas 104 x 82 cm http //www jesuits-europe info/features/nf06/xav-brugge htm c 1648 In the Jesuit community of Bruges Belgium an unknown painting by the Flemish artist Cornelis Schut 1597-1655 has been discovered showing ˜Francis Xavier baptizing the Indians ™ The quite spectacular and colourful oil painting on linen measuring 104 x 82 cm turns out to be the bozzetto preparatory study of an altar piece from 1648 that the Jesuits in Madrid had ordered for their Francis Xavier church now the cathedral of San Isidro to be opened in 1651 The famous flower painter Jesuit brother Daniel Seghers 1590-1661 with whom Schut had collaborated in many paintings acted as intermediary for the payment and transport The painting was later moved to the stairwell of the Colegio Imperial next to the church After the suppression of the Society the painting ended up in the parish church of Santa Cruz del Retamar a village at the outskirts of Madrid There it was destroyed during the Spanish civil war PD-old-100 Cornelis Schut Paintings of Francis Xavier |