Saint Augustine — Philippe de Champaigne art print

A quill in one hand and a flaming heart in the other: Saint Augustine by Philippe de Champaigne brings writing and devotion into one image. The saint turns towards a golden light bearing the word “Veritas”. This art print invites a closer look at the gestures, books and fabrics that shape the composition.

A religious painting from the seventeenth century

Champaigne painted the work around 1645. The original oil on canvas is held at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, LACMA. Augustine sits in richly decorated ecclesiastical vestments, surrounded by books and furniture within a dark interior.

His raised hand presents the heart while the other retains the quill. His gaze turns away from writing towards the light. The arrangement connects an intellectual activity, visible in the books, with a spiritual experience expressed through gesture and illumination.

The heart, the quill and Veritas

“Veritas” is Latin for “truth”. The inscription at the upper left gives direction to the saint’s gaze. On the right, the red heart and its flames create a second bright point. Between them, the face links a diagonal across the upper part of the picture.

Gold patterns on the garments contrast with white drapery, while red details warm the brown and dark green setting. Open books rest on a table covered in patterned fabric; more volumes and loose pages appear near the feet. These details reward looking beyond the figure’s overall outline.

Pair religious works by Champaigne

Dark wood, pale walls and warm accents can complement the print in a study, library or space for reflection. Hanging it at eye level makes the small patterns and lighting contrasts easier to explore.

Continue with Saint Bruno and The Penitent Magdalene. Both are part of our Philippe de Champaigne art print collection, offering further religious subjects through which to explore the same painter’s figures and gestures.