Cretan school of the 17th century. "St. Augustine... Lot 10

Cretan school of the 17th century. "St. Augustine before the Holy Family". Oil on panel. Engatillado. Restored. Measures: 65,5 x 72 cm. In this work is represented the visit of San Agustín of Hipona, touched with mitre and wrapped in bishop's mantle, to the Child Jesus. This one, seated in Mary's lap, takes the bundle with a hand, establishing a symbolic interchange between both personages. Joseph remains in the background, as is usual in the representations of the Holy Family. Cloaks, tunics and mantles have been captured in detail in their plasticity and colorfulness, gold embroidery and ornaments. Daylight enters through the large window that opens in the wall of the room. Although some of the hieratism of early Byzantine art has been lost in favor of a softened naturalism in the composition and a decorativism in the line of Italian influence, the scene presents many of the characteristics of this school, which had so much influence on the development of Cretan painting. For this reason, both the composition and the dimensions of the characters that make up the work are reminiscent to a certain degree of icon painting. All the characters seem to form part of the same plane, with no one standing out above the other, except for the figure of the Child, who is in the center of the composition and who, due to his nudity, generates a contrast with the rest of the characters, dressed in colorful and striking clothes.