Miguel Güelles

MIGUEL GÜELLES (c. 1607-1637).
"The Virgin, St. Anne and St. Joachim."
Oil on canvas.
It has a report issued by Don Enrique Valdivieso.
They present faults and Repainting in the pictorial surface.
Measurements: 251 x 180 cm.
During the baroque period numerous images of the Virgin proliferated, enriching its iconographic representations. It is not usual this type of scene where the Virgin is next to her two parents, since Mary's childhood is usually represented through her birth or her presentation in the temple. In this case, the tenderness with which the author has represented the characters stands out, showing an intimate scene where some older parents place their attentive gazes on a little Mary. In spite of the innocence of the Virgin's face, the artist introduces at her feet the figure of the devil with the apple of original sin in his mouth, in addition both St. Joachim and St. Anne hold and offer the young girl Marian symbols, the book and the lilies indicating her destiny and relevance as queen of heaven.
Aesthetically the quality of the forms, the truthful and naturalistic language in spite of being a theme of divine character and the tonalities of the color palette recall the painting of Miguel Güelles, baroque painter of Spanish origin, documented in Peru for the realization of a series dedicated to saint Domingo de Guzmán, at the moment conserved most of them in the convent of Our Lady of the Rosary in Lima. It is also documented that he worked in Mexico around 1619, although he later returned to Spain to work in Huelva and Carmona. He is also known for his work as an examiner of the painter's trade.