1 / 7

Description

Juan Patricio Morlete (San Miguel el Grande, Guanajuato, Mexico, 1713/1715 - Mexico, 1772)

Juan Patricio Morlete (San Miguel el Grande, Guanajuato, Mexico, 1713/1715 - Mexico, 1772) "Portrait ofManuel López-Pintado y Almonacid" Oil on canvas. 111,5 x 97 cm. Juan Patricio Morlete Ruiz was one of the greatest painters in Mexico during the second half of the 18th century. Although his biography was little known until the 20th century, his work began to be more widely disseminated through various collections, which made it possible to learn more about him. Morlete, withextensive oeuvre in Mexico, is particularly known for his series of caste paintings. The Museo de Américain Madrid has a still life by his hand (inv. 2021/04/01). He founded the Academy of Painting in 1753, together with his teacher José de Ibarra, Miguel de Cabrera, José de Alcíbar and other illustrious figures. Two years earlier, in 1751, he had been part of the group of artists who inspected the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe. These two events reflect the artistic and cultural importance, as well as the social and professional recognition of the painter. The iconographic themes of his artistic production are varied. Urban views, devotional and allegorical motifs, sacred history and several portraits known to date, including those of several viceroys and a portrait of King Charles III dated 1760. Focusing on the painting we present here - and delving deeper into the identity of the sitter - the clothing and important coat worn by the sitter in our work behove us to mention two paintings on canvas that we can compare stylistically and help us to date and geographically locate the painting to the first half of the 18th century in New Spain. We are talking about the portrait attributed to the painter Juan Rodríguez Juárez of Viceroy Juan Vázquez de Acuña y Bejerano (1658-1734), Viceroy of New Spain between 1722 and 1734; and the portrait of Viceroy Pedro Cebrián y Agustín (1687-1752), Viceroy of New Spain between 1741 and 1746. The attire and accessories of the sitter in our painting are comparable in quality, materials and design to those worn in the portraits of the Viceroys of the 18th century. From this we can deduce that the sitter enjoys a very high social status, possibly among the nobility or great merchants of globalisation. It should also be noted that our noble and illustrious personage holds a magnifying glass in his left hand. This element and the book of cartography resting on the table next to the silver inkwell with its quills relate the sitter to maritime activity. In this sense, moreover, the design of the decorative patterns of the garments reminds us of the waves of the sea and the symbols on the sleeves are related to the four cardinal points. The proposal suggested to satisfy the mystery of the identity of the man portrayed is that of Manuel López-Pintado y Almonacid, Admiral of the Fleet of the Indies, who was born in Toledo in 1677 and died in Seville in 1745. A portrait of Manuel López-Pintado, dated 21 December 1730, is kept in the Naval Museum in Madrid. As the Royal Academy of History informs us, "The great wealth of López-Pintado, a mixture of sailor, soldier and businessman, originated from the title of silver-master granted to him by Sebastián de Talledo in Madrid in 1704. [...] He was a deputy of the royal fleets until he obtained the title of admiral of the Fleet of the Indies in 1715-1716, and in that post he acquired a large fortune that enabled him to invest in land, buying and improving various estates and mills in different towns in the province of Seville. [...] In 1737, Philip V granted him the title of Marquis of Torre Blanca del Aljarafe, with the previous viscountcy of Cabrejas". Reference bibliography: -Caño Ortigosa,José Luis. (n.d.). "Manuel López-Pintado y Almonacid". Real Academia de la Historia. https://dbe.rah.es/biografias/51501/manuel-lopez-pintado-y-almonacid

83 
Go to lot
<
>

Juan Patricio Morlete (San Miguel el Grande, Guanajuato, Mexico, 1713/1715 - Mexico, 1772)

Estimate 45 000 - 70 000 EUR
Starting price 45 000 EUR

* Not including buyer’s premium.
Please read the conditions of sale for more information.

Sale fees: 32.14 %
Leave bid
Register

For sale on Thursday 27 Jun : 19:00 (CEST)
barcelone, Spain
La Suite Subastas
+34933001477
Browse the catalogue Sales terms Sale info

Delivery to
Change delivery address
Delivery is not mandatory.
You may use the carrier of your choice.
The indicated price does not include the price of the lot or the auction house's fees.