Spanish school; second half of the 18th century.

Spanish school; second half of the 18th century. "San José with Child". Oil on canvas. Relined. It presents faults and repainting. Measurements: 69 x 58 cm. In this work of oval format the tender scene of St. Joseph with the Child is represented. Both characters are placed in the centre of the composition, inserted in a landscape, in whose upper zone stands out a break of glory. Saint Joseph, standing, holds the little Child in his arms, looking towards his son, thus establishing a paternal and filial relationship between the two. The Child, naked in his father's arms, completely obviates the presence of the viewer, resting on the most characteristic iconographic attribute of Saint Joseph, this image attempts to highlight the great importance of the Child's putative father. Due to its formal characteristics we can relate this work to one of the most outstanding painters of the Sevillian school of the first half of the 18th century, Domingo Martínez. This artist trained in his native city and Lucas Valdés was one of his teachers. The sources indicate that he was appreciated in his day, as he received important commissions such as those from the archbishop of Seville, for whom he executed several paintings for the cathedral of the Andalusian capital and the church of Nuestra Señora de la Consolación in Umbrete. During Philip V's court stay in Seville (1729-33) he was also in contact with French painters in the king's service, such as Jean Ranc and Louis-Michel van Loo, whose influence was evident in his work, combined with Murillo's direct inheritance. On the other hand, it was precisely Ranc who proposed Martínez as court painter, an offer which the painter rejected, however, as he did not wish to move to Madrid with the king. He had several disciples, and we know that his workshop trained Andrés de Rubira, Pedro Tortolero and Juan de Espinal, the latter of whom would eventually become his son-in-law and heir to the family workshop. His first major work was the decorative ensemble of the church of the Colegio de San Telmo, with paintings on the life of Christ and his relationship with the sea, executed in 1724. Six years later he produced two large paintings for the Convent of Santa Paula in Seville. In the 1730s he also executed individual works and ensembles for churches in Seville and its province, always on religious themes, as well as the portrait of Archbishop Luis de Salcedo y Azcona for the Archbishop's Palace in Seville (1739). He was equally prolific in the last decade of his life, when he executed tempera decorations for the churches of Santa Ana and San Luis de los Franceses in Seville, as well as several canvases. His last work, executed around 1748, was a set of eight canvases depicting the great masquerade held in Seville in June of the previous year on the occasion of Ferdinand VI's accession to the throne. Works by Martínez are currently housed in the Seville Museum of Fine Arts.