In Portuguese America, devotion to Saint Anthony was noticeably flexible, for the saint was accredited with several different functions, from retrieving lost objects to leading military troops. Since he was regarded as an example of a good Christian citizen, his veneration was encouraged both by the Portuguese State and the Counter-Reformation Church. In Rio de Janeiro, since the early 17th century, devotion to this saint has been linked to the Franciscan monastery built under his petition. During the French invasion to the city in 1710, St. Anthony was upgraded to the rank of army captain and, by royal decree, started to receive wages with the purpose of fostering his worshipping practices through carrying out a regular party in his name, as well as the upkeeping of his chapel. Between the years 1716 and 1719, a series of panel paintings were made in this chapel, artwork which has not been thoroughly researched by historians and which shall be used in this study as visual reference for the understanding of such devotion as a dynamic cultural phenomenon, therefore not subject to any control once intended.