Baltasar de Figueroa the Elder (Seville, circa 1550 - Bogota, Colombia, early 17th century)

Baltasar de Figueroa the Elder (Seville, circa 1550 - Bogota, Colombia, early 17th century) ‘Our Lady of the Rosary with Philip the Second and Charles, Prince of Asturias as donors’. Oil on canvas on tablex With important carved and gilded period wooden frame. 113 x 71,5 cm. As noted by art historian Manuel Salvador Sánchez Aparicio in his historiographical review of this artist, it is surprising that Baltasar de Figueroa the Elder, known as such to differentiate him from his grandson, remains "one of the great enigmas in the historiography of Colombian painting, despite the craftsman’s significance, as he, indeed, began a dynasty of painters that flourished well into the 18th century." When we study the artworks of the Figueroa Dynasty, we can appreciate a very particular and unique style among them, and almost by default or instinct, we find ourselves compelled to relate the works to each other to finally understand that this family developed a style that many have since followed. It is clear that within this family, theyinfluenced and collaborated with each other. The significant generational presence of the Figueroas persisted throughout the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, positioning them at the pinnacle of painting in New Granada. The painting we study here depicts Our Lady of the Rosary and the Christ Child, with the notable feature of having King Philip II and Prince Carlos of Austria at their feet as donors. Both are dressed in the typically austere and puritanical, dark fashion promoted by King Philip II himself, due to the discovery of logwood in America for dyeing garments, a dye that would be commercialised by the Crown. This work is the only pictorial record produced in Latin America that depicts the King and the Prince together. It is also the only known image of Prince Carlos of Austria produced in America to date. Undoubtedly, the elongated face, pronounced features, marked eyebrows, beard, and moustache of our donor are exactly the same as in the portrait of Philip II found in the National Historical Museum of Chile, making the connection between these works evident. We could even consider that they had access to a print. The portrait of the King of Spain is also comparable to other versions by Sánchez Coello and Pantoja de la Cruz, where he is depicted at an older age with his white hair. In Pantoja de la Cruz’s engraving “Death of Carlos of Austria,” the prince is depicted similarly to this painting,as a young man of 21, a very similar age to that of Carlos when he was portrayed here, suggesting that Baltasar de Figueroa is likely to have painted it in the late 1560s. We highlight the importance of this piece not only because it was painted by one of the greatest artists of the Viceroyalty, who had the talent, initiative, and perseverance to create a school that endured over time, but also because it is an invaluable historical and pictorial record of the influence of Philip II and his fashion. This work makes us direct participants in a history of synergies and syncretisms that resulted not only in the creation of Latin American artworks influenced by European techniques and themes but also in the Americanisation of the old world, of which our work is a material witness. Reference bibliography: - Sánchez Aparicio, Manuel Salvador. (2012). "Baltasar de Figueroa «el viejo» Revisión historiográfica, aportaciones y rectificaciones relevantes en torno a su biografía y procedencia sevillana."Ensayos. Historia y teoría del arte, Bogotá, D. C., Universidad Nacional de Colombia,num. 22, pp. 70-86.