Majorcan school of the XVII century

Majorcan school of the XVII century
"Santa Marta".
Oil on canvas.
Needs restoration.
Measurements: 86 x 60 cm.

Devotional painting of Majorcan baroque school dedicated to Santa Marta. The figure of the saint dominates the composition with a serene dignity. Crowned, sign of her spiritual royalty, she appears haloed by a golden nimbus that reinforces her sanctity. Her gaze is directed upwards, evoking an intense mystical connection with the divine. In her hands she delicately holds a cross, symbol of her unshakable faith and her role as an exorcist of evil.

Dressed in a tunic of earth tones and a grayish-blue cloak, her clothing is in keeping with the canons of the period, enriched by ornamental details at the neckline that provide a refined sense of detail. At her feet lies the figure of a defeated dragon, allegorical representation of the devil or evil, which the saint would have tamed with her faith, according to hagiographic tradition. This motif is characteristic of the cult of Saint Martha, especially in the context of the Provençal legend that links her to Tarasca.

The pictorial treatment of the face and hands denotes a remarkable sensitivity, with soft modeling that contrasts with the firmness of the outline of the contours. The palette, although reduced, shows a chromatic balance between warm and cold tones, while the dark background with golden gleams accentuates the central figure, framing it almost as in a mystical mandorla.