St. Felix of Valois
Gaspar Miguel de Berrío
Description
There was a tradition colonial workshops of training artists by having them work from books of prints that were sent to the New World. The very precise black hatching lines would correspond to the cross hatching found in late 17th c. and 18th c. engravings. [This information was provided by Carol O'Brien English]
Subject Matter:
St. Felix of Valois, cofounder of the Trinitarian Order in 1198, stands in religious ecstasy near the center of this painting surrounded by a riot of exuberant decoration. He is identified in the Latin inscription in the cartouche below him, an identification confirmed by the presence of the stag with a cross between its horns, which recalls a famous episode in St. Felix's life.
Physical Description:
A bearded man with a halo and wearing ecclesiastical vestments appears rapt in ecstasy in the upper third of this painting. He stands on a cloud beneath an elaborate baldachin with his eyes turned upward. A stag with a cross between its antlers lies at his feet on the figure's right while a putto sits at his left. Two more putti hover to the left and right of the man, holding a red curtain behind him. This scene is surrounded on three sides by dense painted decoration composed primarily of vegetal motifs, which is complemented by the exuberant scrolling foliage and fish scale patterns of the gilded frame. A cartouche bearing a Latin inscription identifying the standing figure is located near the bottom of the painted surface.
Usage Rights:
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