St Peter of Alcantara
by MAILLE, Michel, Marble
Michel Maille, a student of Ercole Ferrata, whose earliest known works date from about 1672, adhered closely to the manner of his master. His principal work is the decoration of the chapel in Santa Maria in Aracoeli dedicated to St Peter of Alcantara, where above the altar the ecstatic saint hovers in the air before a vision of the Cross, while on the side walls life-size angels carry medallions with reliefs of St Stephen and St Ranieri. The convincing spirituality of these figures and the free transitions between sculpture and space make this work a legitimate descendant of Bernini’s Cornaro Chapel.