Spanish school, 17th century. "San Isidro Labrador".

Spanish school, 17th century.
"San Isidro Labrador".
Oil on panel.
Frame from the 18th century.
Needs restoration and cleaning. It presents remains of old xylophages.
Measurements: 87 x 64 cm; 99 x 76 cm (frame).
In this scene, a gentleman dressed in a cloak and ruff that enhances his aristocratic profile, kneels before San Roque. He is accompanied by a young African servant. A white steed stands in the background. The saint is recognisable by the pilgrim's staff or staff he holds in his left hand, and by the humble cloths that clothe him. The painter did not need to depict the most characteristic motifs of the figure (the wound and the dog), focusing instead on the relationship established between the four figures. They are set in a wooded landscape bathed in a diffuse light that gives them a solid colouring with firm brushstrokes that build up the volumes. The saint, on whose face the light falls, is absorbed in thought. The other faces, on the other hand, express confidence in his healing power and philanthropy. Saint Roch was one of the most popular saints in Catholic Europe during the late Middle Ages and throughout the Modern Age, as he was considered a protector against the plague, one of the diseases that ravaged the continent. Traditionally, he is depicted dressed as a pilgrim, with a sore on one of his thighs alluding to the disease and accompanied by a dog carrying a piece of bread in its mouth. This is the animal that went every day with this food to the place where the saint had withdrawn to avoid spreading the plague, an illness that he himself had acquired due to his constant dedication to the sick. Stylistically, this painting belongs to the Spanish Baroque style, and the influence of the Flemish school can also be seen in the way the rocky landscape is depicted.