Saint James defeating the Moors in battle

Oil on canvas

112 x 102 cm

Framed 125 x 114 cm

A valiant knight with his sword drawn, proud in his sumptuous armour outlined with golden ornaments, intent on controlling a majestic white horse, is placed at the centre of the painting: it is an evocative image of Saint James in battle defeating the fleeing Moors.

This subject celebrates the most tumultuous aspect of St James' character, which earned him and his brother John the nickname Boanerghes, meaning “Sons of Thunder”, in the Gospel of Mark (3:17).

According to tradition, around the middle of the 9th century, in the midst of the struggles for the Reconquista of the Spanish lands occupied by the Moors, while the enemy armies were clashing in the town of Clavijo, Saint James appeared in defence of the Christian troops frightened by the animosity of their adversaries, thus turning the tide of the war.

This is a little-known iconography of the saint, which invests him with the status of an impetuous and unstoppable knight against the infidels, so much so that in the Spanish popular imagination he was given the nickname Matamoros, meaning “Killer of Moors”.

It was therefore a recurring theme in Hispanic iconography, but it also spread to Italian art as an allegory of the victory of faith.

Although it is a religious subject, it cannot be ruled out that it was intended for private devotion rather than for a place of worship: the painting has a distinctly “secular” rather than devotional character.

This work, for which a pendant ( link ) is available, can be attributed to the workshop of Antonio Tempesta (Florence 1555 - Rome 1630), a leading artist of fundamental importance for the seventeenth-century development of the “battle” genre in painting.

His style, which belongs to the late Renaissance or early Baroque period, is characterised by elements such as the dynamism of the composition, the dramatic use of light and shadow (chiaroscuro), and the expressiveness of the figures.

He shaped his art in the culture of late Mannerism at the end of the 16th century, acquired from his early training in Florence in the workshop of the Flemish artist Giovanni Stradano, with whom he collaborated on the decorative work of Palazzo Vecchio.

Active mainly in Rome from 1572, he worked for Pope Gregory XIII on the decorations in the Vatican Loggias, and for many of the most noble and influential families, such as the Farnese, Borghese, Giustiniani and Rospigliosi-Pallavicini, who sought him out above all as an author of scenes from historical and biblical battles.

In fact, starting in 1613, he created a series of engravings of “biblical battles” inspired by Tasso's “Jerusalem Delivered” for Grand Duke Cosimo II, subjects that allowed him to enjoy great success in the Medici household and at the Florentine court, and which served as a source of inspiration for his subsequent pictorial production.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The work is completed by a pleasant gilded wooden frame and is sold with a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic card.

We take care of and organise the transport of purchased works, both in Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers. If you would like to see this or other works in person, we would be delighted to welcome you to our new gallery in Riva del Garda, at Viale Giuseppe Canella 18. We look forward to seeing you!

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