90 - Viceregal School. Peru. Dated 1694.

Viceregal School. Peru. Dated 1694. "Portrait of Pedro de Zamora Hurtado" Oil on canvas. 107 × 75.5 cm. The subject depicted in this painting is Pedro de Zamora Hurtado (Lucena, c. 1603–Madrid, 1654), a jurist and senior magistrate of the Spanish Monarchy. He was also the uncle of the individual portrayed in our lot 91. After serving as Regent of the Royal Audiencia of Seville and as the city’s assistant, he was appointed a Councilor of the Royal and Supreme Council of the Indies on January 31, 1653. From this institution—one of the principal centers of government of the Monarchy—he participated in the high administration of the American and Philippine dominions, overseeing matters of justice, government, the appointment of officials, and legislation concerning the Indies. His experience as a magistrate and Regent of an Audiencia is particularly significant, since the Council exercised superior jurisdiction over the Audiencias and courts of the American territories. His service to the Indies, however, was brief: he died in Madrid on February 25, 1654, just over a year after his appointment. His historical significance is considerable and stems from his position within the governmental machinery that administered the Americas from the Court. Although he never set foot in the viceregal territories himself, his role was essential in enabling his descendants—including his nephew portrayed in the following lot—to cross the ocean to the Americas and go on to hold important governmental positions within the Viceroyalty, this time on the ground. Beneath the portrait, the cartouche contains a brief biography of Zamora, highlighting the many offices he held during his distinguished career: “Don Pedro de Zamora Hurtado, Member of the Colegio Maior de Cuenca in Salamanca; Abbot of Santa Leocadia. Dionysian and Doctoral Canon of the Holy Church of Toledo, Primate of Spain; Inquisitor and Vicar General of its Archdiocese; Senior Chaplain of the Royal Chapel of Queen Doña Catalina in said Holy Church; President of the Congregation of the Holy Churches of the Crowns of Castile and León; member of His Majesty’s Council in the offices of Regent and Assistant in Seville; General Field Marshal of his Kingdom and Province; and Councilor in the Supreme and Royal Council of the Indies and in the Royal Council of Castile. He died in Madrid in the year 1694 at the age of 28.” (“Don Pedro de Zamora Hurtado, Collegiate of the Colegio Mayor de Cuenca in Salamanca, Abbot of Santa Leocadia, Dignitary and Doctoral Canon of the Holy Church of Toledo, Primate of the Spains, Inquisitor, and General Vicar of its Archdiocese. Senior Chaplain of the Royal Chapel of Her Majesty Queen Doña Catalina in the said Holy Church, President of the Congregation of the Holy Churches of the Crowns of Castile and León, Counselor to His Majesty, holding the positions of Regent and Assistant of Seville and Master General of the Field of his Kingdom and Province, and Councilor of the Supreme and Royal Council of the Indies and of the Royal Council of Castile. Died in Madrid in the year 1694, at the age of 28.” Provenance: - Private collection, Spain. Since its acquisition, the work has remained within the same family through successive generations.