Saint Michael Archangel Defeats the Devil

Oil on canvas

138 x 92 cm

In frame 153 x 107 cm.

Provenance: Private collection, Milan

Of great character and excellent quality, this precious seventeenth-century altarpiece depicting Saint Michael the Archangel subduing the devil is the work of a talented painter active in Naples at the height of the seventeenth century, who is distinguished by a particularly powerful, solemn and spectacular Baroque language.

As for its original destination, the format of the canvas suggests that it was intended for the private devotion of the patrons, certainly set in an altar of a private chapel.

The composition is truly masterly, presenting a well-established iconographic scheme, with the Archangel Michael depicted as a youth of rare beauty, echoing the classical image of the armed warrior, wearing a simple tunic and a feathered helmet on his head. Strong and delicate at the same time, with outstretched wings he protects himself thanks to an imposing shield, while he raises his sword ready to strike the blow of victory at the rebel angel lying at his feet.

On the shield is the monogram of the Latin locution 'Quis sicut Deus?' (literally, 'Who is like God?'), a rhetorical question attributed to the Archangel, at the head of the ranks of angels faithful to God, which he pronounced against the rebel angels led by Lucifer, when the latter challenged the power of God.

Soft draperies envelop the angel's body with an intense classicism, where a balanced composition focuses the observer's attention on his angelic face, impassive and defined by soft and gentle shapes, which contrasts with Lucifer's contorted pose and malevolent expression.

The scene enhances the figures of the two struggling antagonists who emerge, equally illuminated, from the typical dark background, making the anatomy of the bodies stand out, although the use of colour powerfully highlights the figure of the archangel.

The stylistic features of the painting show that it belongs to the Neapolitan figurative culture of the height of the 17th century. The details lead us to circumscribe its authorship to the sphere of Massimo Stanzione, one of the most important painters of the 17th century in Naples, an illustrious leader of the school that strongly shaped the Neapolitan painting milieu that succeeded him.

In particular, in our opinion, the execution of our canvas can easily be assigned to Giuseppe Marullo (1615 - 1685), one of Stanzione's best pupils and later collaborators.

In the painting under examination we can detect the strong stylistic inheritance of our painter towards his master, who, like him, was strongly influenced by the classicist tradition of the Emilian school of painting, in particular by the Bolognese Guido Reni, which blends well with the themes disseminated by Caravaggio, mitigating the violent realism with values of beauty and grace; This aspect reaches its apex here in the saint's ephebic face, which we find almost traced in other compositions by Marullus (compare, for example, the face of the young girl in the foreground of the painting 'Loth and the Daughters', in a private collection in Naples, imm. 1 ).

The skilful effect of the light and shade, which adds volume and substance to the body emerging from the darkness, is well combined with a brilliant chromatic impasto, with the deep red of St. Michael's cloak, with its elegant sinuous folds, scenographically crossing the entire left side of the canvas and giving it liveliness.

Imm.1: Giuseppe Marullo, Loth and daughters, Private collection Naples

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The painting is sold complete with an attractive gilded frame and comes with a certificate of authenticity and descriptive iconographic card.

We take care of and organise the transport of the purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers.

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