Saint Clare driving away the Saracens by Isidoro Arredondo 1693
Saint Clare Driving Away the Infidels with the Eucharist. 1693. Oil on canvas.
This painting is of considerable interest as there are very few surviving works by this artist, who was a fine example of the last generation of great decorators from Madrid. The architectural setting is notable in its resemblance to Claudio Coello´s manner, as are the figures of the angels. The color scheme is warm but rather muted, with handsome yellows, ochers and grayish greens that are not, however, shiny, as the dominant color is the saint´s dark brown habit.
A preparatory drawing for this work at the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh presents the definitive composition, although with certain variants, especially the absence of the worshiping angel in the middle ground and the warrior fleeing to the right. That soldier was probably added during the painting process itself to fill a space that was acceptable in the reduced proportions of the drawing but less so on the comparatively larger canvas. His figure appears to have been taken from an entirely mannerist late 16th-century engraving.
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