Exquisite Quito colonial Archangel Saint Michael subduing the Devil, colonial Quito work (modern Ecuador), from the ...

Exquisite Quito colonial Archangel Saint Michael subduing the Devil, colonial Quito work (modern Ecuador), from the mid-17th century - early 18th century
Exceptional sculptural group in polychrome, gilded, stewed and sgraffito tropical wood, with ebonized wood base. Unpublished in the art market and auctions to date, this work stands out for the exquisiteness and thoroughness of its details, along with its vivid colors and gilding, so characteristic of the Quito School, observing, in the upper plane, the Archangel Saint Michael holding a sword with his right hand and a shield with his left hand in which the legend QCD (Who Like God) can be distinguished in clear allusion to the figure of this Archangel as a symbol against heresy and idolatry in the New World since the beginning of the Conquest. Meanwhile, his tender gaze focuses on the ground, addressing directly the Evil One, on which his left foot rests. In New Spain his devotion became very widespread and his figure was used by the Catholic Church as a symbol against the idolatry and polytheism of some indigenous cultures; He was also associated with evangelization and was taken as the patron of languages ​​since the time of the first Spanish settlements in America. Meanwhile, his gaze focuses on the ground. Reference Bibliography: Maquivar, María Del Consuelo, Religious Sculpture in New Spain, Ediciones Conaculta, EAN 9789701856161. Total measurements with base: 57 x 20 x 11 cm, San Miguel measurements: 47 x 20 x 7 cm. No reserve lot. Provenance: important private collection, Barcelona, ​​Spain.