475 - Attributed to Juan Sánchez Cotán, Holy Family, Granada school, 17th century

Attributed to Juan Sánchez Cotán, Holy Family, Granada school, 17th century Oil on canvas; canvas dimensions: 82 x 105 cm; framed dimensions: 97 x 118 cm. Juan Sánchez Cotán (Orgaz, Toledo, 1560–Granada, 1627) was a Spanish painter, a disciple of Blas de Prado and influenced by artists who worked at El Escorial, such as Luca Cambiaso and Juan Fernández Navarrete. Sánchez Cotán worked in Toledo, where he had an important clientele, until 1603, when he decided to join the Carthusian Order as a lay brother—one of the most strictly observed religious orders—and settled in Granada until his death on September 8, 1627, the Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin, the same day that, according to Antonio Palomino, he had taken his vows as a Carthusian in 1604. Antonio Palomino states that he was a disciple of Blas de Prado in Toledo, with whom he “excelled in painting fruit.” Although it has not been possible to confirm this with documents, this teacher-student relationship is plausible. Prado, who made frequent trips to El Escorial, absorbing the Mannerist tendencies practiced there, is said, according to literary sources, to have been the creator of the Spanish still life, although none of his works have survived. On the other hand, his friendly and professional relationship with Sánchez Cotán is documented up until the very year of his death in 1599. The will that Sánchez Cotán drew up in 1603, when he was preparing to take the Carthusian habit, along with the inventory of his assets compiled by his executors, constitute the best available source of information regarding his personal and professional life up to that year. Bibliography: Ripollés, Carmen (2018). “The Still Lifes of Juan Sánchez Cotán and Artistic Ingenuity in Early Modern Toledo.” Bulletin of the Museo del Prado XXXVI (54): 34–47. Due to its age and history of use, this lot may show signs of wear and previous interventions. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, no specialized technical ...