Madrid school; 17th century.

Madrid School; 17th century.
"Saint Isidore".
Carved and polychromed wood.
They present faults and losses in the carving and polychromy.
Measurements: 26 x 15 x 8 cm.
Carved wooden sculpture representing the devotional image of San Isidro, which we recognise by the digging shovel that he carries in one hand. Saint Isidore, standing upright and full-length, wears brown sackcloth, breeches and turned-up boots. His clothing and physiognomy, with beard and moustache, were traditional for middle-aged men of the time. One of the most characteristic features of his clothing is the presence of the golilla, which was common in the fashion of the time. His black clothing is also reminiscent of the aesthetics of Baroque dress, which is documented in court portraits. Despite the sobriety of the costume, the piece gains great expressiveness through the body, which is flexed in a completely theatrical manner, very much in the taste of the baroque period. Despite the faults caused by the passage of time, the face of the protagonist is a testimony to the quality of the artist, who achieves a truthful and naturalistic depiction of the face.
Saint Isidro Labrador (Madrid, 1080-1172), married to the saint María de la Cabeza, was beatified by Paul V in 1619 and canonised in 1622 by Gregory XV. He was declared patron saint of Spanish farmers by John XXIII in 1960. Several miracles are attributed to this saint, among the most famous being that of the well in which, thanks to his prayer, the waters rose so that his son, who had fallen in, could be rescued. Another is the one in which the angels help the saint to plough a field, thus allowing him to stop and pray in all the parishes he passed through on his way to work. His iconographic representation is directly related to his work as a farmer, his most frequent symbols being the tools of the field, such as the hoe or the spade. He is also often depicted with a rosary, grilles or ears of corn.