Saint Andrew
1646. Oil on canvas.Not on display
Given its character and dimensions, this is undoubtedly an altarpiece, probably the one that Palomino, Ponz, Ceán and others saw on the side altar of the Epistle in El Salvador church in Madrid. The composition – of palpable monumentality – shows the saintly apostle in an upright position, leaning on his cross and with his head raised, crowned with a crown of roses carried by a pair of little angels, one of whom holds the palm of martyrdom. In the background, in small figures, the scene of the martyrdom is depicted as the usual way in Flemish prints and compositions of the first half of the century. The model and attitude of the saint in the foreground are somewhat reminiscent of Vicente Carducho, albeit interpreted with a new lightness of brushwork. Conversely, the figures in the background – and especially that of the crucified, luminous and gilded saint – already reflect a knowledge of the art of Rubens, which he had assimilated at a very young age. The beauty of the colour and the loose, vibrant execution underline the importance and precocity of the painter on the path to the new style.
Pérez Sánchez, Alfonso E., Carreño, Rizi, Herrera y la pintura madrileña de su tiempo, Madrid, Ministerio de Cultura. Banco Herrero, 1986, p.244
