St James the Great in the Battle of Clavijo
by CARREÑO DE MIRANDA, Juan, Oil on canvas, 231 x 168 cm
The painting represents the popular saint of Spain arisen from his grave to help the Spanish army against the Moors in the battle of Clavijo. In the painting the prancing white steed forces its way through fallen and dying unbelievers while in the background fleeing Moors can be just barely made out.
The painting, which paraphrases Rubens’s St George (Prado, Madrid), is signed on the thong on the chest of the horse.
Suggested listening (streaming mp3, 12 minutes):
Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber: The Battle, suite