Italian school; 17th century.

Italian School; 17th century.
“Saint Gregory the Great.”
Oil on canvas.
Measurements: 135 x 111 cm.
A portrait depicting the bust of a man, seen in profile from the viewer’s perspective, standing next to a table. His attire suggests that he is an important figure in Christianity—a pope or a bishop. Although his body is turned away from the viewer, his face is directed straight at the observer, where his piercing gaze rests. The artist has depicted this scene from a naturalistic perspective, focusing on narrative and description while avoiding any anecdotal elements. The protagonist’s features indicate that he is a depiction of Gregory the Great; this saint is one of the first eight Doctors of the Church—specifically, one of the four of the Latin Rite, alongside Ambrose of Milan (307–397), Jerome of Stridon (346–420), and Augustine of Hippo (354–430). The other four, of the Greek rite, are Athanasius of Alexandria, Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nazianzus, and John Chrysostom. “Doctor of the Church” is a title conferred by the Pope or an Ecumenical Council upon certain saints in recognition of their scholarship and as eminent teachers of the faith for the faithful.
In the 17th century, portrait painting became established and maintained its relevance. This tradition had begun in the 16th century with the birth of the modern portrait; the genre gained autonomy during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs, through Italian and Flemish influences, but it was under the reigns of Charles V and Philip II that the modern court portrait was established. A style of portraiture then developed based on formal austerity and the symbolic weight of objects, attire, and expressions, which were intended to reflect the nobility, status, and importance of the subject. During the formative years of court portraiture, Titian and Antonio Moro played particularly significant roles. The latter, of Flemish origin, contributed meticulous execution and attention to detail, as well as dramatic lighting that enhanced the subject’s physical presence. Titian contributed not only a modern style of Venetian origin but also a new iconography of power. Under Philip II, this task of shaping the genre—and, with it, the official image of the ruler—would fall to Alonso Sánchez Coello and his disciple, Juan Pantoja de la Cruz.