Saint Anthony by Luis Juarez

English

Born around 1585, Luis Juárez was an important painter in New Spain. His recognized works date from the period between 1610 and 1633, with a production of 47 paintings, a considerable number for an artist of the first half of the 17th century.

In addition to this, 20 other works attributed to him have not been fully authenticated, including this work dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua. The last recorded painting is in the Convent of La Merced in Mexico City.

Regarding his technique, Juárez stood out for his smooth, clean, and precise brushwork, with a varied color palette, although light and luminous tones always predominate, contrasting with darker sepia and gray backgrounds, coinciding with the tenebrist style of the period.

His distinctive depictions of angels and cherubs capture transparencies in their wings and garments, which sometimes disappear. Juárez is credited with certain motifs that were adopted in New Spain painting. Such is the case of the bands or stoles that fly over the backs of some of his angels.

Regarding his compositions, it can be noted that he based his work on the engravings of some Catholic prints and cards, which were then, and continue to be, very popular for devotion and worship in general.

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