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Premium Spanish School. Possibly Madrid. Mid 18th century.
Spanish School. Possibly Madrid. Mid 18th century.
Lot no. 43
Description
Spanish School. Possibly Madrid. Mid 18th century.
"The miracle of Saint Francis of Paola"
Carved and polychrome wooden sculpture group.
44 x 37 x 19 cm.
Beautiful sculptural group of the holy founder of the Order of Minims, shown in an attitude of prayer before performing a miracle. The motto “Charitas Dei” (Charity of God) appears in the image, held by putti on a small rocky crag, symbolizing his profound devotion to charity and his love for God and for others.
The sculptor’s gouge masterfully captured his entire anatomy, including face, hands and feet. His gaze toward the heavens is superb, his constant “Duc in Altum,” perfectly rendered, kept him standing, firm and devoted, even when his body had no strength left. It is a mystical and profound gaze, on an exquisite face where the treatment of the hair and beard is sublime.
This devotional sculpture recounts the resurrection of his nephew Nicola, who lay in the hands of his mother Brígida, the saint’s sister. Before the young man’s corpse, Saint Francis of Paola wept bitterly. He wept for him for a long time until he came back to life. Once alive again, he was returned to his sister and mother, and the saint made her promise that she would never prevent her son from dedicating himself to God. Later, he would enter his uncle’s own order.
We would like to thank Dr. Javier Baladrón, doctor in History of Art, for the identification and cataloguing of this work. We hereby transcribe it.
This refined and exquisite sculptural group, featuring Saint Francis of Paola as the central figure, is a magnificent example of eighteenth-century sculpture and, more specifically, of the small-scale imagery intended for private devotion and the so-called display cases. These pieces were mostly destined for domestic oratories, although they could also occupy vitrines and niches in churches and convents. This type of display case was characterized not by isolated figures but by scenes set within an environment, usually a landscape or architectural backdrop, that reinforced the devotional message; in this case, a rocky setting with arboreal, vegetal and supernatural elements, as will be seen.
Saint Francis of Paola (1416-1507), founder of the Order of Minims, also known as the Hermits of Brother Francis of Paola, introduced humility as a complement to the three Franciscan vows of poverty, charity and obedience. The name Minims alludes precisely to their desire to regard themselves as the least among all religious orders. Born in Calabria, he soon acquired a reputation as a miracle worker, as shown by the fact that King Louis XI of France called him in 1482 hoping to be cured through his prayers. His close relationship with the French crown led Francis I to request his canonization, finally granted in 1519 by Pope Leo X. Among the many miracles attributed to him are healings of the sick as well as resurrections, one of which is illustrated in this sculptural scene. In it, the saint is shown praying, with his hands joined and his gaze lifted toward a radiant sun bearing the inscription CHARITAS DEI. His prayers are directed to God to achieve the resurrection of the child held in the hands of the kneeling mother beside him.
The saint appears standing and essentially static, although the sculptor introduces subtle dynamism by making the torso turn slightly to the left while the head turns to the right to contemplate the solar emblem. He carries his characteristic staff under his right arm and keeps his hands joined in prayer. Although he is usually depicted wearing the black tunic of the Minims, here he wears the customary brown Franciscan habit, tied with a cord with five knots and with the hood falling down his back. The treatment of the folds displays great naturalism, with deep grooves and vertical, rounded drapery.
If the entire figure reveals remarkable dedication, the face is especially noteworthy. The sculptor has succeeded in capturing with great accuracy the softness of the flesh and the flaccid texture typical of aged skin. The wrinkles that cross the forehead and surround the eyes emphasize the advanced age of the saint, whose broad bald head, perhaps due to the tonsure, contrasts with his voluminous beard. The latter is worked meticulously with the drill, composed of long, sinuous, almost individualized locks, and together with the graying hair reinforces his character as a venerable elder. The large almond-shaped glass eyes bring vividness to his gaze. The aquiline nose, the small mouth barely visible beneath the moustache, and the finely carved ears complete a highly accomplished modeling. All of this contributes to a face full of expressiveness and rapture, from which emanates a devotional pathos fully aligned with the spirituality of the work.
Saint Francis of Paola is placed at the center of the composition, flanked by two vertical structures. On the left rises an ethereal column composed of clouds and winged cherub heads, crowned by the emblem of the Minims: a flaming sun with the motto CHARITAS DEI at its center. On the right, a rocky mass supports another group of clouds with winged cherub heads, while in front of it, in the lower section, kneels a mother imploring the resurrection of her child, whom she holds almost fully swaddled in her hands. The depiction of the child, with the left arm and head entirely collapsed, clearly indicates that this is a lifeless body, not merely a sick one.
Because of the stylistic features present in the work, especially the pronounced realism of the face and the meticulous carving of the beard, it may well be attributed to a prominent sculptor working in the Madrid area during the second half of the eighteenth century.
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