the Franciscan
convent. When the Caridad, or Hospital of Charity, was restored, Roldan
executed the last great work in painted sculpture; it was an immense
piece for the centre of the retablo of the high-altar of the church, and
represented the Entombment of Christ.

Seville abounds in his works, and he executed bas-reliefs in stone for
the exterior of the Cathedral at Jaen. He was so devoted to his art that
he felt every moment to be lost that was not spent in its service. He
married a lady of good family, and lived in the country; when obliged to
go to Seville he was accustomed to carry a lump of clay, and model from
it as he rode along. Roldan was not by any means the best of Spanish
sculptors, but he had great skill in the composition of his works, and
the draperies and all the details were carefully studied. His daughter,
Dona Luisa Roldan, studied sculpture under her father's instruction, and
became a good artist; he was accustomed to allow her to superintend her
studio and his pupils. She often aided him by her suggestions, and on
one occasion, when a statue that he had made was rejected, she pointed
out to him certain anatomical defects, which he remedied, and the whole
appearance of the work was so changed that it was thought to be new, and
was accepted for the place for which it had been ordered.

The works executed by Dona Luisa were principally small figures of the
Virgin, the Adoration of the Shepherds, and kindred subjects. Several of
these were presented to King Charles II., and he was so pleased by them
that he ordered a life-size statue of St. Michael for the Church of the
Escorial. She executed this to his satisfaction, and he then appointed
her sculptress in ordinary to the king. She died at Madrid in 1704,
surviving her father but four years. She left works in various convents
and churches.

In Italy at the beginning of the seventeenth century a new era in
sculpture was inaugurated. Art was now required to serve the Church in
the way of appealing to sentiments and feeling in a far coarser and more
sensational a manner than formerly. Painting was suited to these
purposes far more than sculpture, and it had been raised to great
heights, in Spain, by Murillo, in the North by Rubens and his followers,
and in Italy by numerous masters.

Luebke says of this period: "All that was now demanded of art was effect
and feeling at any price. The one was attained through the other. A
passionate excitement pul