Saint Francis of Paula
Second half of the XVII century. Oil on canvas.On display elsewhere
This Saint Francis of Paula belongs to the Madrid school in the midst of the Baroque period, dating from 1633-66. The work combines hurried brushstrokes on the saint’s face – whose enthralled expression is reminiscent of the successful models devised by Guido Reni – with much looser and ethereal patched brushstrokes applied to some details of the figure and particularly to the cloudscape in the background. The sky offers a dense, leaden and stormy appearance through a magnificent colour palette in blue and greyish tones on which hints of the electric light of the halo of sanctity stand out. This detail is portrayed in a peculiar way that recalls the style of Juan Carreño de Miranda and his disciple Mateo Cerezo.
Renacimiento y Barroco en las Colecciones de la Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Universidad de Zaragoza, 2012, p.88-89
