Saint John of Capistrano
In this representation of Saint John of Capistrano, the painter has faithfully followed his traditional iconography. Dressed in a Franciscan habit with a red cross on it, he stands beneath a shining star. He holds a standard created by Saint Bernardino of Sienna—John of Capistrano was his disciple when he entered the Order of Saint Francis— with the nails of Christ´s crucifixion and his IHS monogram. An ottoman at his feet recalls his ardent sermons against the Turks, which decisively contributed to their defeat at the battle of Belgrade in 1456.
As frequently occurs in works by this artist, conventional elements drawn from the repertoire—in this case, the figures of defeated Turks and fleeing devils that symbolize heresy—are combined with details typical of his approach, such as the saint´s face or the cherubs´ heads in the upper left corner. Once again, he accentuates small still-life details such as the medallion hanging from the saint´s neck and, notwithstanding the differences, this clearly reflects his studies with Pereda.
Compositionally, this work can be considered parallel to Saint Rose of Viterbo. The fact that both canvases are the same size and both depict Franciscan saints suggests they may have been commissioned together for one of the Franciscan convents in Madrid that disappeared with the ecclesiastical disentailment of 1836. Moreover, the fact that Saint Rose of Viterbo is signed confirms the present work´s attribution to Alonso del Arco.
Little is known about this artist's calling and training before he became Antonio de Pereda's disciple and main collaborator. Deaf and mute from birth, he was known as "Pereda's deaf mute."
His highly active workshop during the sixteen nineties explains the existence of numerous works, not all of which share the same quality of execution and style. Considered one of the most prolific artists of the Madrid school in the 17th century, he also painted frescoes, including the chambers at the hermitage of la Virgen de la Oliva (Almonacid, Toledo) with scenes from the life of the Virgin (on site) in 1689.
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