ROQUE LOPEZ Era Alta, Murcia (1747) / Murcia (1811) "San Roque" 1796

Polychrome and stewed wood carving. Silver in its color and gilded silver. Roque Lopez was one of the most outstanding figures of Levantine sculpture in the 18th century. This sculptor, the second documented disciple in the workshop of the famous Francisco Salzillo, began his training in 1767, at the age of twenty, quickly obtaining mastery in the profession and great fame. His good work meant that, after Salzillo's death, he received a large number of commissions in Murcia, intended mainly to satisfy the demand of parishes and convents, as well as individuals. Outside of the Murcia region, the provinces of Albacete, Almeria and Alicante are the ones that concentrate most of his production, although, after the Spanish Civil War, looting and the destruction of images have reduced it considerably. This beautiful and delicate image of San Roque, which until now was considered lost, is dated 1796 and is perfectly documented in the catalog of the sculptor's works: "A San Roque of half a rod and base, stewed, for Alicante, by the hand of Diego Reynel. "We know that that same year he worked on other images for the same province such as: a Dolorosa and two angels kneeling in their clouds or a Virgen del Socorro. In his execution, Roque Lopez was inspired by the model. that Salzillo made for the church of San Andres in Murcia and that he would repeat on some other occasion as demonstrated by the example preserved in the city of Orihuela and that is also attributed to him. The saint is represented as a handsome young man with a beard who carries his attributes. Usual iconographic features: hat, pilgrim's staff and satchel; made of silver in its color and gilded. He wears a showy, richly woven and ornamented tunic, with a cape, a long mantle with movement and sandals with leggings. He directs his gaze to the bottom where an angel lifts his clothing to show the wound on his leg; alluding in this way to the best-known passage of his iconography and his character as a protective saint against plague and epidemics. At his feet, on a floor made up of rocks, there is also the dog, another of his usual attributes, carrying the crust in its jaws to feed him. The excellent carving is a good example that Roque Lopez perfectly reproduced the master's works following his models and the same marks of quality. If it had not been perfectly documented, the quality of this piece would have raised doubts about its paternity and it could have been attributed to Salzillo himself. We would like to thank Mr. Juan Antonio Fernandez Labaña for his help in cataloging this lot. Measurements: 48 cm. With base: 58 cm.