Pope Innocent III's vision of the arrival of Saint John of Mata and Saint Felix of Valois
1634 - 1635. Oil on canvas.On display elsewhere
This painting belonged to a series of twelve paintings on the lives of Saint Felix de Valois and Saint John de Mata, founders of the Order of the Most Holy Trinity for the Redemption of Captives. The artist produced this painting in 1634 for the church of the Convent of the Discalced Trinity in Madrid. It was there where Palomino, Ponz and Ceán Bermúdez caught sight of it.
Carducho conceived and executed all his stories – religious or secular – suggesting that he had no struggle in the invention of his compositions. This can be seen in the figures that make up his works, as they all move freely within his large canvases. What is most successful about the painting is its clear composition. Even the occasional presence of large architectural settings with simple, classical lines reinforces this feeling.
Pintores del reinado de Felipe III, Madrid, Museo del Prado, 1993, p.56
