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Attributed to Antonio Sinchi Roca (1685-1710) or to Melchor Pérez Holguín (Cochabamba, Bolivia, 1660 - Potosí, 1732) “St. Gregory the Great writing, inspired by the Holy Spirit.” Oil on canvas. 128,5 x 102 cm. Two hypotheses arise after studying this magnificent painting and through the comparisons listed below in our description. Commission for devotion and worship in a church with a congregation, a convent or monastery or for a wealthy landowner and their house or private chapel. A clear and serene portrayal of Saint Gregory, one of the four doctors of the Western Church, alongside Saint Jerome, Saint Augustine of Hippo, and Saint Ambrose, depicted wearing rich episcopal robes and a mitre, as he receives inspiration from the Holy Spirit. On the one side, in the painting, we find sufficient parallels with the 'Saint Gregory the Great' by the indigenous painter Sinchi Roca, located in the Cathedral of Cuzco, Peru. Although the position of the saint differs, the physiognomic features, the cloak and its ornamentation, as well as the furniture of the scene, allow us to hypothesize that they were painted by the same artist. On the other side, the parallels between our work and two paintings, both in the Phoenix Art Museum collection, A Saint Augustine of Hippo and precisely a Saint Gregory the Great, like our protagonist. In both paintings and in ours, the characteristic emaciated faces with sunken, bony cheeks that we see in Pérez Holguín's work from that period coincide, with that sallow, gray skin tone. The clothing is also the same, the saint's cape, in red tones and covered with flowers typical of the country. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)   As noted on the ARCA website: “He was an indigenous painter born in the town of Maras who developed Cusco baroque painting and helped spread it throughout the 17th century. Much of his great pictorial production can be found in the Cathedral of Cuzco: the series of Prophets, Evangelists, the Church Fathers, and the Sacraments.” In our opinion, the artist drew inspiration from the engravings that arrived from Europe to the New World, specifically from Carlo Saraceni’s depiction of Saint Gregory, painted circa 1600, since compared with other portrayals of the saint, this is undoubtedly the closest. The adaptation of this particular subject into a colonial Mexican context is evident in this painting, where there are clear signs of syncretism and cultural reinterpretation incorporating elements of indigenous and mestizo iconography. Most striking, besides the darker skin and indigenous facial features of this Saint Gregory, are the wonderful decorative elements of Cuzco influence, with abundant flowers in vibrant colors, aiming to make the image more accessible to local worshippers. These colors, skillfully used to create contrast and depth, are characteristic of Cuzco workshops. In this painting, beyond technical execution, the iconography reinforces its devotional function, clearly through theatricality and visual impact. Holguín was one of the most important painters of the colonial mestizo baroque, of what was called the Potosí School, which developed in the years 1700 - 1790. Tenebrism and the influence of Zurbarán were characteristic. Holguin’s work is dominated by the many commissions carried out for the Franciscans and the Dominicans. Born in Cochabamba, Bolivia he died in Potosí. As Suzanne L. Stratton-Pruitt indicates, despite the fact that Holguín of course knew the Cuzcan art that was widespread and stylistically of great influence in Upper Peru, his work was very personal, and is somewhat removed from that style, although it adopts some common elements as the painting of Cuzco, such as the floral borders   Regarding the figure depicted, it is worth noting that during the fourteen years of his papacy, Saint Gregory carried out a significant ethical and moral transformation within the Church. He encouraged reading the Sacred Scriptures not to have control over them but as nourishment for the soul, combining learning with prayer. While Italy was experiencing one of the darkest moments in its history, marked by scarcity and notable anarchy, the figure of Saint Gregory I (540-604), nicknamed 'the Great,' emerged. During the fourteen years he served as pope, he carried out a significant moral reform in the Church and played a crucial role as a peacemaker during the most critical phase of the Lombard invasion. Reference and photographic bibliography: - BENAVENTE, Teófilo y Alejandro Martínez. Historia del arte cusqueño: pintores cusqueños de la colonia. Cusco: Municipalidad Provincial del Cusco. 1995. Colonial Spanish America. https://arcav1.uniandes.edu.co/artworks/5468#