Francisco de Herrera the Younger

"The following condition report has been provided by Henry Gentle, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. The slate is in a good condition and the paint layer is stable and flat. There are restored losses to the left hand edge extending up into the angels, the red robe and the wings of St. Michael, the body of the Devil and scattered across the surface. Some of this restoration is excessive and imprecise and there are areas in good original condition. The painting has been restored recently and there would be no benefit from removing the varnish. Offered in a tortoise shell and black painted frame in good condition."
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

This majestic image of Saint Michael is typical of Herrera the Younger's work between 1654-1660, while he was still in Madrid or shortly after he had returned to his native Seville. His style was strongly influenced by Rubens and Titian, whose work was readily accessible in Madrid, where the young Herrera is first documented in 1650.

The bright colours and free brushwork highlight the movement and power of this typically Baroque scene, in which the light comes towards us from behind the action. This, and the Rubensian music-playing angels which frame the composition, focus our attention on the central vertical line and emphasize the victory of the Saint, with God the Father looking down from above and the vanquished Devil heading for the darkness below. The painting can be compared to the Triumph of Saint Hermenegild originally commissioned for the convent church of the Discalced Carmelites in Madrid and now in the Prado, inv. no. 593.¹

We are grateful to Prof. Alfonso Perez-Sanchez for endorsing the attribution to Herrera the Younger.

1. See J.M. Ortega Calderón, Todo el Prado, Madrid 1996, p. 217, plate 593.