Guido Reni (1575 - 1642) circle ofSaint Michael the Archangel Oil on canvas Dimensions: 98 x 73 cm. - In antique frame 116 x 90 cm. Full details of the work (click HERE) We are sharing an extremely pleasant work that reprises the famous Saint Michael the Archangel created by Guido Reni in 1635 for the Capuchin Church, in the heart of Via Veneto in Rome (photo in details). The church was erected through the grant of Cardinal Antonio Barberini (1569-1646), brother of Urban VIII, in favor of the Capuchin friars order; the cardinal himself commissioned the altarpiece to Guido Reni who, at the height of his maturity and artistic fame, had now settled in Bologna, where he created the canvas and sent it to Rome. After a long and intense training in Bologna, in 1602, the painter who already worked on his own wanted to enrich his artistic background by going to Rome. He soon became famous in Roman circles, as an interpreter of the taste of the most culturally influential circles, and conquering the protection of great figures such as Popes Paul V, Urban VIII and Scipione Borghese. The Archangel Michael, engaged in the fight against Evil, is represented as a young man of rare beauty, strong and delicate at the same time who, with his sword drawn, repels an irritated devil to hell, whose head he tramples with his foot,; Soft colored draperies wrap the angel's body in an intense classicism within a balanced composition capable of highlighting the celestial beauty of the angelic face. Great was the recognition and esteem of contemporaries, that the painting immediately garnered incredible success, thanks also to the controversies it aroused. Reni, in fact, having learned that Cardinal Giovanni Battista Pamphili, the future Pope Innocent X, had defamed him by denigrating some of his works, would have impersonated the Devil with the face of the same for revenge. The Reni's cleverness was to exploit the historic competition between two of the most influential Roman families of the seventeenth century, the Barberini and the Pamphili, for his own personal revenge, and at the same time giving his works a sudden celebrity. The proposed canvas, considering the era of its execution and the good quality, is certainly the work of an artist active in Rome around the mid-seventeenth century in close contact with Reni, of whom he knew his works well. The conservation conditions of the work are good with the presence of restorations on the pictorial surface. Antique frame, in good condition, with defects. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The work sold is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and guarantee. We take care of and organize the transport of purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers. It is also possible to see the painting in the gallery in Riva del Garda, we will be happy to welcome you to show you our collection of works. Contact us, without obligation, for any additional information. Follow us also on : INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/galleriacastelbarco/?hl=it FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/galleriacastelbarco/