26th June - Old Masters

Lot 1 - Italian school; late sixteenth century. "Madonna and Child". Oil on canvas. Relined. Measurements: 121 x 94 cm; 123 x 105 cm (frame). In this canvas the author represents a scene very repeated in the History of Art especially since the Renaissance: the Virgin with the Child Jesus in her arms. It was a theme widely treated during the Renaissance and Baroque periods, since it emphasized the human aspect of Christ, in the innocence and happiness of his childhood, in dramatic contrast with his destiny of sacrifice. Thus, the Savior appears represented as a child of delicate beauty and soft anatomy, protected by the maternal figure of Mary, whose face shows, in its seriousness, the knowledge of the bitter destiny of her son. Since the end of the Middle Ages, artists insisted on representing, in an increasingly intense way, the bond of affection that united Christ with his Mother and the close relationship between the two, this was encouraged in the Renaissance and, naturally, in the Baroque period, when the exacerbation of emotions characterizes much of the artistic production. The theme of the Virgin represented with the Child Jesus, and more specifically with him on her lap, seated or standing, has its origin in the Eastern religions of Antiquity, in images such as that of Isis with her son Horus, but the most direct reference is that of the Virgin as "Sedes Sapientiae", or throne of God, in medieval Christian art. Gradually, with the advance of naturalism, the Virgin will pass from being a simple "throne" of the Child to reveal a relationship of affection, beginning in the Gothic period. From then on, the figures will acquire movement, approaching each other, and finally the concept of the throne will disappear and with it the secondary role of the Virgin. In this way, the image will become an example of the love between Mary and her Son, an image of tenderness, close, designed to move the spirit of the faithful.

Estim. 8 500 - 9 000 EUR

Lot 2 - Lombard school; XVI century. "The beheading of the Baptist". Oil on canvas. Relined. Measurements: 50 x 65 cm; 58 x 72 cm (frame). The Lombard school is within the Italian painting, a rarity because it does not present the characteristics that unify others such as the Roman or Venetian. Thus, within this northern school several sub-schools can be distinguished, centered in the cities of Milan, Genoa, Piedmont, Bologna, Cremona, Modena, Ferrara and Parma. However, the term Lombard school is often identified with the Milanese school. In this particular case the work follows the models established by Bernardino Luini (1481 - Milan, 1532), who produced several versions of the same subject, as attested by the works in the Uffizi Gallery (Florence) and the painting in the Prado Museum (Madrid). According to tradition, Salome, a woman of great beauty, danced for her stepfather, who enthusiastically offered to grant her the prize she wished. Then the young woman asked, following her mother's instructions, for the Baptist's head, which was given to her "on a silver platter". This biblical story has often been depicted in painting, as it offers the possibility of depicting exotic settings and half-naked women without abandoning the biblical repertoire, although it is not about this particular work. Salome was a princess, daughter of Herod Philip and Herodias, and stepdaughter of Herod Antipas, related to the death of St. John the Baptist in a story told in the New Testament (Matthew and Mark). Herodias, wife of Herod Philip, married in a scandalous way with the half-brother of this one, Herod Antipas, which provoked a war, since Herod Antipas had repudiated for it his previous wife, daughter of the Nabataean monarch. The attitude of the new marriage was very criticized by the people, since it was considered sinful, and one of those who most denounced it was John the Baptist, for which he was arrested, although Herod did not dare to execute him for fear of the popular wrath. According to tradition, Salome, a woman of great beauty, danced for her stepfather, and he enthusiastically offered to grant her the prize she desired. Then the young woman asked, following her mother's instructions, for the Baptist's head, which was given to her "on a silver platter".

Estim. 7 000 - 8 000 EUR

Lot 3 - Italian master; 17th century. "Narcissus". Carrara marble. It presents faults and restorations. Measurements: 217 x 130 x 60 cm. Sculpture carved in Carrara marble representing a young ephebe. Technically the work that starts from an anatomical canon of classic character, with naturalistic dimensions that tends to a dynamism and expressiveness typical of the baroque. This feature can be seen in the posture of the protagonist with his legs crossed and one of his arms forward, as well as in the treatment of the fabric covering his waist, where the ample folds create a play of light and shadows that favor the grandeur of the volume. Aesthetically, the work is inspired by classical statuary, specifically Roman, which in turn was in some ways based on Greek, despite other stylistic influences and its own idiosyncrasies. In this case it should be noted that the piece corresponds to a historical period, in which antiquity is used as an example of virtuous society, rescuing and adapting the models established by the aforementioned cultures. This piece, which brings together both the tradition of Baroque statuary and the expressive and theatrical taste of the Baroque, is largely reminiscent in its composition to the sculpture of David Bernini's David, made between 1623 and 1624, currently in the collection of the Galleria Borghese. Known for his beauty, according to the best known version of the story, by Ovid, Narcissus rejected all advances, finally falling in love with a reflection in a pool of water, tragically unaware of his likeness, enraptured by it. In some versions, he struck his chest with purple in agony at being cut off from this reflected love, and in its place sprouted a flower bearing his name. Several versions of the myth have survived from ancient sources, one by the 2nd century A.D. Greek traveler and geographer Pausanias and a more popular one by Ovid, published before A.D. 8, found in Book 3 of his Metamorphoses. It is the story of Echo and Narcissus, a story within a story. Ovid's framing shows the story to be a test of the prophetic abilities of Tiresias, an individual who had been both male and female, and whose sight was taken from him during a contest between Juno and Jove. He had sided with Jove and Juno, in anger, blinded him. Instead, Jove granted her future sight, or prophecy. The prophecy that gave Tiresias his name was the story of Echo and Narcissus. It presents faults and restorations.

Estim. 180 000 - 200 000 EUR

Lot 4 - Flemish school; second third of the 17th century. "The Last Judgment": Oil on canvas. Relined. Presents faults and Repainting. Measurements: 207 x 178 cm. The author of this work recreates the Final Judgment following the Renaissance iconography, with a composition ordered in two planes, the heavenly and the earthly. Above, in the center, Christ appears as judge, raising his hand in blessing as a sign of authority, seated on a cloud. He is accompanied, on both sides, by Saint Joseph, and the Virgin, intercessor for humanity in the Judgment. Completing the upper plane, on either side, are religious groups. In the lower plane, the large size of the figures stands out. This is due to the fact that the author has tried to represent pictorially the greater distance between the spectator and the sky, which after all is over his head. Saints and martyrs appear on this lower plane. The work is based on the painting of the Last Judgment in the Museo de Bellas Artes in Chile, painted by Marten de Vos (Antwerp, 1532-1603), a Flemish painter known mainly for his allegorical paintings and portraits. He was, along with the brothers Ambrosius Francken I and Frans Francken I, one of the leading history painters of the Spanish Netherlands. De Vos was a prolific draughtsman and produced numerous designs for the Antwerp printers. These circulated widely in Europe and the Spanish colonies and contributed to his international reputation and influence. His designs were also used as models for tapestries and stained glass. In the 1580s he produced multiple designs for engravings and book illustrations. From Mannerism, his style evolved to become clear and descriptive, in perfect correspondence with the ideas of the Counter-Reformation.His brother Pieter de Vos was also a painter and some works previously attributed to Maerten de Vos have been tentatively re-attributed to this brother or the so-called pseudo-de Vos. The so-called Marten de Vos Sketchbook (c. 1560; Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam) containing copies of earlier drawings of classical works of art has now been attributed to the circle of Frans Floris. Following the iconoclastic depredations of the Beeldenstorm, which reached its climax in 1566 and resulted in the destruction of much of the art in the churches of Flanders, de Vos became one of the artists charged with redecorating the plundered churches with new altarpieces. Many of these, such as St. Luke Painting the Virgin (1602), painted for the altar of the Guild of St. Luke in the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp (now in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp) to replace one on the same subject painted by Quinten Metsys and destroyed more than 20 years earlier, and the Wedding at Cana (1597), painted for the guild of wine merchants, were commissioned by leading Antwerp organizations.

Estim. 10 000 - 12 000 EUR

Lot 5 - Florentine or Sienese school; End of the XVI century. "Mystical nuptials of St. Catherine and St. Sebastian, St. Francis and St. Lucy". Oil on canvas. Relined. Measurements: 126 x 133 cm. In this canvas are represented the mystical nuptials of Saint Catherine, narrated by Santiago de la Vorágine in his "Golden Legend". The legend tells that Saint Catherine was of royal lineage, daughter of a Sicilian queen and a Samaritan prince, and that at eighteen years of age she still did not marry because she considered herself so beautiful and intelligent that no mortal man deserved her. The hermit Ananias asked her to marry a husband superior to all men on earth, but the young woman demanded to see him before marrying him. The hermit then instructed her to lock herself in her room at night, to light the torches as if to receive a great guest, and to pronounce aloud the invocation: "Lady, Mother of God, be gracious to me by allowing me to see your Divine Son". So she did, and the Virgin appeared to her with the Child, who offered her Jesus in marriage. The Child, however, refused to take her as his wife because she was not beautiful enough. She interpreted the dream as an accusation of lack of faith, and withdrew to the desert to learn the Christian precepts with the hermit, and was baptized. In a new dream the Child accepted her beauty, the beauty of her soul, and Catherine became the celestial bride of Christ, a marriage that was confirmed when Jesus placed a ring on her finger. The quality of the finishes is excellent, the subtlety of the folding of the Virgin's red mantle, with the play of light and shadows that form the volume in a fluid and natural way, is an example of the painter's artistic skill. It is worth mentioning the treatment of color, with a palette of colors of great expressiveness that only darken in the last planes. Due to the technical characteristics, such as the modeling of the forms, the tonalities used, the type of composition, and even the aesthetic details used, this work can be inscribed within the Northern Italian school.

Estim. 4 000 - 4 500 EUR

Lot 6 - ANTONIO PONCE (Valladolid, h. 1608-h. 1667) "Still life". Oil on canvas. Relined. Measurements: 56 x 99 cm; 66 x 110 cm (frame). Formally in this work highlights the delicate treatment of the different qualities and textures: the pot, the leaves of the branches of fruit, etc, qualities that are enhanced with the use of a completely dark background that supports greater three-dimensionality to food that make up this still life. work shows some tenebrist influence and lighting highlights the volumes in contrast to the shadows. The reduced palette favors earth tones enlivened with touches of reds, whites and yellows. Some of these characteristics recall the work of Loarte or the late period of Van der Hamen: an accumulation of objects that conveys a kind of confused disorganization, somewhat lighter backgrounds, fine tactile qualities, and the play of diagonals suggest a new consideration of the inert. A new consideration of the inert aspects of still life on the threshold of the growing dynamism of the Baroque. His technical mastery is undeniable, with a succession of flat brushstrokes intermittently interrupted by further touches that convey the reflection of the light entering from the left. As often with this artist, there is a curious way of delimiting the outlines of certain elements with thicker and more insistent strokes that underline their reality with greater vigor. In 1624, Antonio Ponce entered as an apprentice in the workshop of Juan Van der Hamen, the most famous still life painter of the time. The influence of his master is revealed in his first paintings, with an arrangement on stone entablatures sometimes superimposed and the strong chiaroscuro lighting of Caravaggesque origin. As a still life painter he tackled a wide variety of subjects and formats, fruits and vegetables, as well as game and flowers, series of months and small cabinet paintings. From 1637 to 1638, Ponce worked in the Buen Retiro Palace (Madrid), built by King Philip IV. In July and August of 1649, he collaborated with a group of artists in the ephemeral decoration of the steps of the square and the stairs of the church of San Felipe el Real, as part of the celebrations of the entrance of Mariana of Austria. In the 1640s, he adopted lighter and brighter backgrounds that were tinged by soft hallmarks and a chromatic scale tending to gray.

Estim. 30 000 - 35 000 EUR

Lot 7 - Flemish school; early seventeenth century. "Portrait of a gentleman". Oil on oak panel. Cradled. Repainting. Brushed board. Measurements: 104 x 82 cm; 116 x 93 cm (frame). An uncovered hand resting on green velvet and the other gloved evidences the quality of this portrait. The delicacy of the treatment of the hands, in addition to the light and delicate way in which the ruff has been painted and the naturalistic truthfulness of the face of the protagonist. Upright facing the viewer, although slightly turned, as is usual in court portraits of the time, the protagonist is shown before the viewer with great dignity. Only the table on which his hand rests is part of the ornamentation of this work, which stands out for its austerity, not only visible in the neutral background but also in the figure of the protagonist himself, dressed in rigorous black, with only the color of the gloves and the ruff standing out. Few elements, but of great effectiveness, since they indicate that this is a character of great social relevance belonging to a high social class. The face's small brushstrokes reveal not only technical mastery, but also the artist's interest in capturing the psychology of the protagonist. Portraiture was one of the most important genres in 17th century Flemish painting. In the capture of the personality of this gentleman or aristocrat that we show, the teaching of masters such as Rembrandt or Frans Hals is ratified. The technical quality, the realism and the veracity of the protagonist's face bring the work closer to the style of the Flemish school. A school in which the portrait, both individual and group, and even the character, tried to embody the relationships of the individual with society, thus popularizing its creation. This genre comprises a third of the total production of the Flemish school. In the 17th century, the panorama of European portraiture was varied and broad, with numerous influences and largely determined by the taste of both the clientele and the painter himself. However, in this century a new concept of portraiture was born, which would evolve throughout the century and unify all the national schools: the desire to capture the personality of the human being and his character, beyond his external reality and his social rank, in his effigy. During the previous century, portraiture had become consolidated among the upper classes, and was no longer reserved only for the court. For this reason, the formulas of the genre, as the seventeenth century progressed and even more so in the eighteenth century, would relax and move away from the ostentatious and symbolic official representations typical of the Baroque apparatus. On the other hand, the eighteenth century will react against the rigid etiquette of the previous century with a more human and individual conception of life, and this will be reflected in all areas, from the furniture that becomes smaller and more comfortable, replacing the large gilded and carved furniture, to the portrait itself, which will come to dispense, as we see here, of any symbolic or scenographic element to capture the individual instead of the character. Repainting. Brushed board.

Estim. 38 000 - 40 000 EUR

Lot 8 - Dutch school; 17th century. "Still life". Oil on oak panel. Cradled. Presents restorations. Measurements: 60 x 85 cm; 87 x 112 cm (frame). The trompe l'oeil generated by the folding of the white tablecloth describes the delicacy of this work, in which the whole set has an individuality defined by the quality with which each of the elements that make up the still life are painted. The author presents a scene of great verism, modeled by a kind and golden light, but does not renounce to a certain theatricality that is defined thanks to the porcelain tray placed at an angle with the intention of showing the viewer its contents. This tray full of grapes, which still retain the leaves of the vine, is arranged next to a plan placed on a shiny plate, both elements located in the foreground, invite the viewer to transcend the very subject of the still life, sponsoring an allegory of the Eucharist. Due to its technical and formal characteristics, the present work can be related to the circle of Willem Kalf, one of the most important Dutch still life painters of all times. True to his style, it is a still life captured in the foreground, in which select objects stand out on a table against a neutral background. As in many of Kalf's works, there is almost always a bone china bowl, often tilted so that the fruit falls out of it. Willem Kalf was born in Rotterdam in 1619. He was previously thought to have been born in 1622, but research by the archive of H. van Gelder established the painter's correct place and date of birth. In the late 1630s, Willem Kalf traveled to Paris and spent time in the circle of Flemish artists in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Paris. In Paris, he painted mainly small-scale rustic interiors and still lifes. Kalf's rustic interiors are usually dominated by groups of vegetables, buckets, pots and pans, which are arranged in the foreground (e.g., Kitchen Still Life, Dresden, Gemäldegal, Alte Meister). The figures usually appeared in the blurred darkness of the background. Although painted in Paris, paintings of traditional works in Flanders in the early 17th century, by artists such as David Teniers the Younger. The only indication of the Flemish origin of the paintings is that Flemish exponents of the same genre would not have been depicted in their works. The rustic calf interiors had a great influence on French art in the circle of the Le Nain brothers. The semi-monochrome still lifes Calf created in Paris from a link to the banquet or "little banquet pieces" by Pieter Claesz, Willem Claeszoon Heda and others in the 1630s. During the 1640s, Calf further developed the bench into a novel form of sumptuous and ornate still lifes (known as show still life), depicting rich groups of gold and silver vessels. Like other lives of this period, these paintings often expressed vanitas allegories. Kalf's still life paintings vary little in their structure, and most of them actually feature the same objects. There is tableware, with gold and silver vessels, many of which have been identified as goldsmiths, such as Johannes Lutma. It presents restorations.

Estim. 15 000 - 18 000 EUR

Lot 9 - Spanish school: 17th century. "Ecstasy of San Francisco". Oil on panel. Presents repaints and restorations. Measures: 65 x 51 cm; 75 x 61 cm (frame).

Estim. 1 000 - 1 200 EUR

Lot 10 - French school; late 18th century. "Landscapes". Oil on canvas. Re-drawn. It presents restorations. Preserves 19th century frame. Measurements: 59 x 98 cm (x2); 68 x 108 cm (frame, x2). In this pair of works we can see a wide landscape built on a solid structure skilfully resolved, as it combines in balance the diagonals and the horizontals, enhanced by the play of light, to firmly establish the spatial construction. It is interesting to note the tree that the artist has placed on the left-hand side of both compositions, establishing it as a horizontal line that helps to balance the diagonals that start at each end of the lower part of the canvas. Beyond these foregrounds the landscape opens up, allowing us to see the winding course of a navigable river, on the banks of which rise mountains bluish in the distance, silhouetted against a golden sky, blue but flooded with orange clouds. The wise composition, as well as the way in which the treetops and other formal details are worked, allow us to relate this work to the tradition of the French school. Although landscape painting as an independent genre appeared in Flanders in the 16th century, there is no doubt that this type of painting did not only reach its full development among Dutch artists. It can be said that they practically invented the naturalistic landscape, which they affirmed as an exclusively central feature of their artistic heritage. However, this interest extended to other schools such as the French, as this genre exalted the values of the nation, for the painter, filled with pride in his land, knew how to show through his paintings the beauty of its vast lands and overcast skies, the regular layout of its canals and meandering rivers, its polders and dykes, its beaches and, of course, its spectacular stormy seas. Despite their naturalism or the inventorial record of fact, French landscapes were at least as much a product of imagination as of observation.

Estim. 9 000 - 10 000 EUR

Lot 11 - 17th century Dutch school. "Tavern Scene". Oil on canvas. The canvas has a tear in the upper left part. Slight damage to the margins due to an old frame. Measurements: 60 x 91 cm. Placed in a modest interior, the present scene shows an inconsequential subject placed in a tavern. Three humble men and a woman, all of them dressed in the fashion of the moment and of the area, are situated around a table, seated on barrels turned into chairs. The figures converse with each other, as can be deduced from their gestures, and are accompanied by a series of elements, the qualities of which the artist has been concerned with, as has been customary in the school since the Gothic works and the introduction of oil as a binding agent with the so-called Flemish ones. This work therefore belongs to the genre of tavern painting, created in early Baroque Flanders by the masters Adriaen Brouwer (1605-1638) and David Teniers (1610-1690), which was soon to arrive in Holland. As the name suggests, these are tavern scenes, known as costumbrist works because they depict the common practices of the common people of the time, with a considerable variety of styles, but always maintaining both the subject matter and a clear preference for an earthy palette. Influenced by the two masters mentioned above, the painter who produced this type of work usually worked an interior space with a very refined chromatic range, based on earthy and ochre tones, typical of early Baroque naturalism. In terms of style, these painters would normally be close to Teniers (more detailed works; precise, loose but short brushstrokes, defining the forms and qualities of figures and objects, without playing down the importance of the drawing) or Brower (more caricatured style, and brushstrokes and forms different from those of Teniers).

Estim. 1 200 - 1 500 EUR

Lot 12 - Spanish school, 17th century. "Saint Isidore". Oil on panel. Frame from the 18th century. Needs restoration and cleaning. It presents remains of old xylophages. Measurements: 79 x 66 cm; 92 x 79 cm (frame). Scene presided over by Saint Roque, whose right hand is extended in an attitude of blessing two faithful, who kneel before him. The saint can be recognised by the pilgrim's staff or staff that he holds in his left hand, and by the humble cloths that clothe him. The painter did not need to depict the most characteristic motifs of the figure (the wound and the dog), focusing instead on the relationship established between the four figures. They are set in a wooded landscape, bathed in a diffuse light that gives them a solid colouring with firm brushstrokes that build up the volumes. The saint, on whose face the light falls, is absorbed in thought. The other faces, on the other hand, express confidence in his healing power and philanthropy. Saint Roch was one of the most popular saints in Catholic Europe during the late Middle Ages and throughout the Modern Age, as he was considered a protector against the plague, one of the diseases that ravaged the continent. He is traditionally depicted dressed as a pilgrim, with a sore on one of his thighs alluding to the disease and accompanied by a dog carrying a piece of bread in its mouth. This is the animal that went every day with this food to the place where the saint had withdrawn to avoid spreading the plague, an illness that he himself had acquired due to his constant dedication to the sick. Stylistically, this painting belongs to the Spanish Baroque style, and the influence of the Flemish school can also be seen in the way the rocky landscape is depicted.

Estim. 2 000 - 2 500 EUR

Lot 13 - Flemish school of the early 17th century. "The Resurrection of Christ". Oil on copper. Measurements: 25 x 19,5 cm; 28,5 x 23,5 cm (frame). In this copper the author has represented the theme of the Resurrection of Christ: in a break of golden and luminous glory, the monumental figure of Christ rises exultant on the sky. Framed by little angels behind the clouds, Jesus contemplates the soldier sleeping in the lower left, oblivious to the event taking place. The image frames the usual representation of the scene, as it presents the open tomb. Jesus no longer belongs to the earthly plane, something that shows us his abandonment of the mortal and his transition to the divine, fulfilling his message and the designs of his father. Despite the contrast between the golden tones and the dark colours that make up Christ's cloak and the earthly area, the image reveals a certain degree of detail, which can be seen especially in the gestures of each of the figures in the scene.

Estim. 2 000 - 2 500 EUR

Lot 14 - 17th century Italian work. "Puttis. Gilded bronze. Measurements: 17 x 18 x 25 cm. This excellent work in relief represents two cherubs of which we can only see the infantile head, flanked by the wings, as is usual in this type of representation. There is no ornamentation on the back, but the hollow of the sculpture remains, which confirms that it would have originally belonged to a larger sculptural ensemble. Both faces are directly inspired by the models of the classical "putto" (a child with regular features, broad forehead, small nose, large cheeks and wavy hair), although it shows a technical and aesthetic advance with respect to these.

Estim. 3 000 - 3 500 EUR

Lot 15 - Neapolitan school, ca. 1700. "Ecce Homo. Painted terracotta. Wooden base carved, gilded and polychromed in the 19th century. Measurements: 30 cm. high; 8 x 22 x 23 cm. (base). Piece of imagery in rounded bulk and half body. It represents an Ecce Homo and is faithful to its iconography. The cloth of purity folded to one side with drapery, as well as the undulations of the locks of hair that fall on either side of the beautiful face of Jesus, are characteristic of the Neapolitan school. Naturalism prevails in the anatomy, but all traces of pathos are subtracted, yielding instead to a certain idealising taste in the features. Crowned with thorns and with his hands tied, Ecce Homo symbolises the moment when Christ was handed over to the Jewish people to be judged, after Pontius Pilate wanted to absolve himself of all responsibility. Jesus' expressive, melancholic and highly sympathetic gaze stands out. His large eyes illuminate the nobility of his features. The hands are also skilfully modelled. Neapolitan sculpture shows a marked taste for naturalism, a trend in which this piece is part of. This taste for Neapolitan naturalism is evident, for example, in the tradition of nativity scenes, as well as in the carving of groups of the Holy Sepulchre. Both the nativity scenes and the groups of the Holy Sepulchre and the vestments have a strong dramatic, scenographic component. They were also sculptures or sculptural groups that played an important role in the liturgy at different times of the year: at Easter, Christmas and other important festivals, where the celebration of mass involved, in various ways, the participation of these sculptures, which were, for the faithful, a powerful illustration of the mysteries around which the sermons and homilies revolved.

Estim. 2 000 - 3 000 EUR

Lot 16 - 17th century German school. "The Adoration of the Shepherds. Oil on panel. Period frame. It presents some retouches after cleaning. Size: 37 x 28 cm; 60 x 50 cm (frame). In this canvas of baroque period, the painter is interested in approaching the theme of the adoration in a naturalistic way, emphasizing the humble environment that welcomes in its bosom the birth of the Child Jesus. The shepherds display an expressive gestural dramaturgy that communicates their astonishment at the miraculous event they are privileged to witness. All the gestures revolve around the infant, whose small body wrapped in white cloths rests on a bed of straw. The Virgin joins hands in devotion, and St. Joseph, in front of him, gazes at the child withdrawn in thought. Jesus thus occupies the centre of the composition, and the contrasting lighting helps to arrange the figures and direct the viewer's gaze to every corner of the crib, which opens outwards through a window that is peered into by a few curious onlookers. Behind the stone arcades, our gaze escapes towards the landscape, and at the top, a scenographic break in Gloria connects heaven and earth.

Estim. 6 000 - 8 000 EUR

Lot 17 - Flemish school of the late 16th century. "Virgin and Child with Saint John the Baptist". Oil on copper. Frame in tortoiseshell, embossed silver and bone from the 17th century. It presents restorations. Measurements: 22 x 17 cm; 36 x 31 cm (frame). In this copper we see a devotional work of great beauty and emotion, classical in its conception although enriched by a warm and contrasted illumination, typical of the Flemish school. It presents us with a settled and balanced composition, clearly classical, based on a pyramidal scheme whose apex is Mary's head, framed by two pink curtains. The infant Jesus sleeps peacefully while being watched by his mother. Saint John with his rod and phylactery asks for silence. The figures stand out against a neutral, dark background that emphasises their physical presence, their corporeality.

Estim. 4 000 - 4 500 EUR

Lot 18 - Attributed to GABRIEL DE LA CORTE (Madrid, 1648 - 1694). Spanish school, 17th century. "Ascension of the Virgin with a garland of flowers". Oil on canvas. Re-drawn. Measurements: 76,5 x 58 cm: 99 x 82 cm (frame). This painting follows a compositional scheme that was very popular during the Spanish Baroque period: the religious theme is surrounded by a garland of sensual flowers whose prominence is not less than that of the central theme. Gabriel de la Corte's hand is recognisable in the way the varied bouquets of brightly coloured bouquets, in which a dense brushstroke of brilliant pigment has been used, are resolved. The chromatic juiciness of the floral piece is a move towards rococo solutions, which break up symmetry and tend towards horror vacui. The painter has frozen the flower's moment of maximum maturity, prior to its decay. The enormous corollas dwarf the central image, which depicts the Ascension of the Virgin, another typical Baroque theme: three angels lead Mary to heaven. Dressed in the classic symbolic colours (white and blue), her garments flutter and give a sense of movement. The dark background emphasises the thickness of the garland and the Marian body, drawing out a wide range of tonalities. The freedom of execution and vigorous brushstrokes are reminiscent of the work of the master from Madrid. Specialising in vases, Gabriel de la Corte was the son of Lucas de la Corte, also a painter from Madrid, although his paternity has been the subject of debate among important scholars such as Antonio Palomino and Cean Bermúdez. De la Corte enjoyed little success during his lifetime, which led him to eke out a meagre living by painting for low prices and even completing the works of other artists by inserting flowers into their works. He was known for his use of an overloaded composition in which freedom of execution and a spontaneous, vigorous brushstroke full of matter are the main features. De la Corte's style is influenced by those of Arellano and anticipates the flower still lifes that would later be crowded with complicated compositions on elaborate cartouches. Some important works by De la Corte are preserved in the Museo del Prado, among other important institutions.

Estim. 4 500 - 5 000 EUR

Lot 19 - Valencian school, first half of the 16th century. "Saint Jude Thaddeus and Saint Simon. Altarpiece or altar frontal. Painting on panel. Carved, gilded and polychrome wood. It has slight craquelure. Measurements: 96 x 63 cm. Valencian altarpiece with the representation of the apostles Judas Thaddeus and Simon the Zealot, two apostles who often appeared together in the devotional iconography because both were killed by the Persian priests for preaching the Gospel. Simon was cut from head to crotch with a saw, which serves as a symbol, as can be seen in this excellent painting. This is a Renaissance altarpiece, which inherits from the late medieval period the solution of the gilded background, although in this case it has been decorated with carvings, scrolls and borders that emulate damascene brocades. The two figures, with their large almond-shaped eyes, exchange glances in a silent dialogue. The expressiveness of their features and the naturalness of their gestures denote a certain Italian influence filtered through the aura of proximity of Los Hernandos (the painters Fernando Llanos and Fernando Yáñez), who introduced the novelties of the Italian Quattrocento and Cinquecento into the Valencian and Murcian schools. Specifically, it is the trail of the Florentine painters of the Quattrocento, along the lines of Masaccio and Piero della Francesca, which had the greatest influence on the Valencian school, and which is evident in the rough, angular faces we are dealing with here, with a sombre expression, resolved with excellent drawing and contrasting ranges of satin finishes. During the Renaissance, series of apostles depicted in pairs or individually against a neutral background and bearing their iconographic attributes became popular in Spanish painting. They were derived from late medieval altarpieces, but in the 16th century the expressions and gestures developed the naturalism characteristic of the period.

Estim. 6 000 - 8 000 EUR

Lot 20 - Spanish school of the last third of the 17th century. "St. Joseph with the Child Jesus". Oil on canvas. Relined. Presents craquelure and slight damage to the frame. Measurements: 85 x 62,5 cm; 95 x 73,5 cm (frame). At the beginning of the XVII century the representation of San José with the Child became popular, having been until then the paternal figure relegated to second term with respect to the Virgin. Francisco Herrera El Viejo, to whom the present painting is attributed, dealt with this theme on more than one occasion. This is a work of quality. The small body of Jesus has been modeled with subtle light shifts that envelop him in a supernatural aura without the need to introduce orthodox iconography. On the contrary, what is reinforced is the supreme moment of the union between father and son. Both squint their eyelids, inviting us to share their silence. The expressive contrast of light, the quality of the foreshortening of the small body, the velvety shades that chisel the atheistic features of Joseph and the marble flesh of Jesus, remind us of other works by the author. It has craquelure and slight damage to the frame.

Estim. 3 000 - 4 000 EUR

Lot 21 - Attributed to JUAN SIMÓN GUTIÉRREZ (Medina Sidonia, Cádiz, 1643 – 1718). "Christ on the cross and Mary Magdalene." Oil on canvas. Measurements: 90 x 65 cm.; 96 x 71 cm. (frame). The lifeless body of Christ occupies the compositional center of this devotional painting attributed to Juan Simón Gutiérrez. The soft features of Mary Magdalene kneeling next to the cross and the cottony lines that outline the figures refer to the teaching of Murillo, which Juan Simón inherited and adapted to his own style. The city of Jerusalem is outlined under the light of a moon whose eclipse symbolizes the cosmic blackout that accompanies the death of Jesus. The broad brushstroke develops into delicate strokes that model gestures and figures, transmitting the mystical feeling of the biblical scene. Although born in Cádiz, Juan Simón Gutiérrez would have trained in Seville, perhaps with Murillo himself, as Ceán Bermúdez and Fernando Quiles consider. In any case, in 1664 he was already active independently, since on this date he is documented as a participant in the Sevillian Academy, of which he would be a part until 1672. His life was hard, despite the recognition of his contemporaries, and went through significant economic difficulties, at a time when poverty was common among the Sevillian population, as a result of both the recession in trade with the colonies and the War of Succession and various epidemics. Regarding his language, Gutiérrez was a faithful follower of Murillo, whom he undoubtedly had the opportunity to know, both through the Academy and the brotherhood of San Lucas, his own guild. The quality of his work earned him the respect and recognition of other Sevillian masters, and in fact in 1680 he obtained the position of “alcalde alamir” of painting, that is, in charge of the examination of master's candidates. His category also guaranteed him an important workshop, where, among others, Francisco Díaz and Tomás Martínez were trained. Likewise, Ceán Bermúdez points out that he was an appreciated “fairground painter”, which indicates that his works were in high demand in the Sevillian market, from which paintings were sent to all of Andalusia and also to America. Gutiérrez mainly created works with religious themes, the most in demand at the time, although he also addressed secular motifs, such as battles and scenes of customs, and even made three small canvases on the “History of Constantine.” His works are currently preserved in religious centers such as the convent of La Trinidad in Carmona or the main church of Santa María la Coronada in Medina Sidonia, as well as in the Museum of Fine Arts in Seville and the Museum of Los Angeles, in the United States.

Estim. 4 000 - 5 000 EUR

Lot 22 - Dutch school of the XVII century. "Kitchen". Oil on panel. Measurements: 60 x 90 cm; 80 x 110 cm (frame). In this canvas the author divides the scene in two fields markedly differentiated: on one side, on the right and in the foreground, an exuberant still life composed of all kinds of food and enriched by the presence of dead animals and pots. On the right side, in the background, a kitchen scene with different characters and a dog. The author thus merges two themes in a single canvas, on the one hand, that of the still life and, on the other hand, that of the genre painting, creating a complete work in terms of its conception that serves as an excuse to demonstrate his varied pictorial skills.

Estim. 2 500 - 3 000 EUR

Lot 23 - Valencian school, late 15th century. "St. Philip, St. James the Less, St. Andrew and apostle". Altarpiece or altar frontal. Painting on panel. Ornamentation in carved wood, gilded and polychrome. It has very slight damage to the polychrome and wood. Measurements: 84 x 88 cm; 100 x 102 cm. Valencian altarpiece with the representation of the apostles San Felipe, Santiago el Menor, San Andrés and another apostle without attributes. The strong modeling of the bodies and the psychic force of the faces denote the proximity of the painter with the workshops of Juan De Juanes. With angular features, the four characters are recognized as bearers of Jesus' message. The conciseness of the drawing and the soft plasticity of the tunics are combined in the naturalistic modeling of the bodies, which despite emanating from a golden background have been resolved with a veristic language in keeping with the period. The anatomies seem to take on volume, transcending the two-dimensionality of the background. At the same time, in the human types we can appreciate the stylistic proximity with the painting of Los Hernandos (the painters Fernando Llanos and Fernando Yáñez), who introduced in the Valencian and Murcian school the novelties of the Quattrocento and the Italian Cinquecento. Specifically, it is the wake of the Florentine painters of the fourteenth century, in the line of Masaccio or Piero della Francesca which mostly influences the Valencian school, and that is evident in the rough and angular faces that occupy us, of somber expression, resolved with an excellent drawing and contrasting ranges of satin finishes. The golden background presents borders and decorated elements that emulate damascene brocades. Arches with scrolls crown the frame. During the Renaissance, the series of apostles represented in pairs or individually on a neutral background and carrying their iconographic attributes became popular in Spanish painting. They derived from the late medieval altarpieces, but in the sixteenth century the expressions and gestures were deepened in a naturalism characteristic of the time.

Estim. 7 000 - 8 000 EUR

Lot 24 - Valencian school, late 15th century. "St. Bartolomé, St. John, St. Philip and St. Peter". Altarpiece or altar frontal. Painting on panel. Ornamentation in carved, gilded and polychrome wood. It has very slight flaws in the polychrome and wood. Measurements: 84 x 88 cm; 100 x 102 cm. Valencian altarpiece with the representation of the apostles Saint Bartolomé, Saint John, Saint Philip and Saint Peter. The rotund modeling of the bodies and the psychic force of the faces denote the proximity of the painter with the workshops of Juan De Juanes. With angular features, the four characters are recognized as bearers of the message of Jesus. The conciseness of the drawing and the smooth plasticity of the tunics are combined in the naturalistic modeling of the bodies, which despite emanating from a golden background have been resolved with a veristic language in keeping with the period. The anatomies seem to take on volume, transcending the two-dimensionality of the background. At the same time, in the human types we can appreciate the stylistic proximity with the paintings of Los Hernandos (the painters Fernando Llanos and Fernando Yáñez), who introduced in the Valencian and Murcian school the novelties of the Quattrocento and the Italian Cinquecento. Specifically, it is the wake of the Florentine painters of the fourteenth century, in the line of Masaccio or Piero della Francesca which mostly influences the Valencian school, and that is evident in the rough and angular faces that occupy us, of somber expression, resolved with an excellent drawing and contrasting ranges of satin finishes. The golden background presents borders and decorated elements that emulate damascene brocades. Arches with scrolls crown the frame. During the Renaissance, the series of apostles represented in pairs or individually on a neutral background and carrying their iconographic attributes became popular in Spanish painting. They derived from the late medieval altarpieces, but in the sixteenth century the expressions and gestures deepened in a naturalism characteristic of the time.

Estim. 7 000 - 8 000 EUR

Lot 25 - Spanish or Italian school of the 18th century. "Hunting day". Oil on canvas. Relined. Presents restorations. Measurements: 104 x 167 cm. In this painting the painter shows us an Italianate landscape crossed by a meandering river, with architecture in the background and a hunting scene in the foreground, located in a clearing on the bank. In this foreground we see the two hunters spotting their next victim. The Italianate landscape derives from the discovery by Dutch and Flemish painters of the Italian landscape, mainly that of Claude of Lorraine. They were particularly attracted by its lights, golden and pink tones on the horizon, which create a diffused and idyllic atmosphere of calm and tranquility. The Italianizing landscape painters will create less realistic landscapes than the rest of those found in the Central European Baroque, idealized and in a certain way artificial, scenographic.

Estim. 2 500 - 3 000 EUR

Lot 26 - Spanish or Italian school of the 18th century. "Hunting day". Oil on canvas. Relined. Presents restorations. Measurements: 105 x 168 cm. In this canvas the painter shows us an Italianate landscape with architecture in the background and a hunting scene in the foreground. In this foreground we see a hunter who points his gun in the air, while his companion observes attentively the development of the acts. In the background, two other hunters converse while searching for their prey. The Italianate landscape derives from the discovery by Dutch and Flemish painters of the Italian landscape, especially that of Claude of Lorraine. They were especially attracted by its lights, golden and pink tones on the horizon that determine diffused and idyllic, calm atmospheres. The Italianizing landscape painters will create less realistic landscapes than the rest of those found in the Central European Baroque, idealized and in a certain way artificial, scenographic.

Estim. 2 500 - 3 000 EUR

Lot 27 - Spanish or Italian school of the 18th century. "Caprice". Oil on canvas. Relined. Presents restorations. Size: 104 x 168 cm. This "Veduta" or "Caprice" offers us a panoramic landscape constructed from the reproduction of a Roman triumphal arch of classic style, to which the romantic concept of the ruin is added. The taste for the artistic vestiges of the past, the generalization of the travels of writers and artists in search of monuments and works of art that would serve as a source of inspiration, and the discovery of important ancient remains such as those of the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum undoubtedly contributed to the success of the genre. It is a pictorial genre, moreover, that has its roots in the seventeenth century, in the veduta, not always topographical, but sometimes extremely imaginative, of artists such as Canaletto and others.

Estim. 2 500 - 3 000 EUR

Lot 28 - School of LA CROIX DE MARSEILLE (Marseille, 1700-Berlin, 1782), late 18th century-early 19th century. "Port view". Oil on canvas. Measurements: 29.5 x 29 cm; 31 x 39 cm (frame). Landscape painting of panoramic composition, French school. It dates from the end of the eighteenth century or beginnings of the nineteenth century, and it is ascribed to the romantic current and its taste for the ruins. The coast has been sublimated with a dreamy orography, although elements that could identify Marseilles fortifications can be recognized. In any case, the port city appears poetically transfigured. A slight mist blurs the horizon, so that the veils of light or fine gauze that blur the limits give the sailboats and fishing boats a picturesque and mysterious nuance. Charles François Grenier de Lacroix, known as Lacroix de Marseille, was a well-known painter of Italianate seascapes and landscapes. Although little information is available about his life, it is known that in 1754 he had already moved to Rome. He also visited Naples in 1757 and painted Vesuvius and the surrounding countryside. In Rome, Lacroix met Adrien Manglard (1695-1760), and his pupil Joseph Vernet (1714-1789), who would become the most important influence on his work. He participated in the Salon de la Correspondance in Paris in 1780 and 1782. Lacroix de Marseille's work is represented in the Toledo Museum of Art (Ohio), the Dijon Museum of Art and the National Museum of Stockholm.

Estim. 1 800 - 2 000 EUR

Lot 29 - Andalusian School, XVIII century "Saint Francis of Paula". Polychrome carving and gilded in fine gold. Measurements: 45 x 25 x 17 cm. Work of devotional character with the representation of San Francisco de Paula in prayerful attitude. With his bare feet on a pedestal that simulates a cumulus of clouds, the celestial ascension of the saint is represented, whose face and gesture transmits ecstatic rapture. The composition is dynamic, resolved in baroque style. Saint Francis of Paola (Calabria, Italy, 1416-Tours, France, 1507) was a hermit and founder of the Order of Minims and a saint of the Catholic Church in the Italian region of Calabria. Legend has it that St. Francis became seriously ill of the eyes, reason why his parents entrusted themselves to St. Francis, curing their son's eyes. To be grateful for the miracle, at the age of fourteen he went on pilgrimage to Assisi, thus becoming a hermit. For five years he withdrew to the mountain, feeding only on water and wild herbs, sleeping on the hard ground, with a stone as a pillow. He was canonized in 1519, only 12 years after his death, during the pontificate of Pope Leo X. In the early years of the 16th century, the Order of the Minims entered Spain, acquiring great diffusion due to the values of Franciscan preaching that they spread, which, linked to the recent canonization of the saint and his way of life and poverty, had a very strong influence among the Spanish Christian population.

Estim. 2 500 - 3 000 EUR

Lot 30 - Spanish school of the XVII century. "St. Jerome in his study". Oil on canvas. Presents Repainting. Measurements: 95 x 74 cm; 102 x 80.5 cm (frame). In this work the painter offers us a dramatic image full of mystical emotion, very typical of the Spanish Counter-Reformation art. Thus, we see a work of clear and concise composition, with the half-length saint in the foreground, highlighted by direct lighting, tenebrist, on a neutral and dark background. As is also common at this time in the Spanish school, St. Jerome appears during his period of penance in the desert, very thin and physically exhausted, writing and meditating. There are no other iconographic attributes that complicate the reading or detract from the naturalism of the image, and in fact realism is basic in the composition, both in terms of lighting and in the representation of objects and, especially, of the saint's anatomy. Far from any idealization, it is an old body with a suffering face, endowed with great expressiveness, which directs a lost, absent gaze towards the distance, while he writes his writings. Next to the table rests the skull, symbol of the tempus fugit, and the lion that accompanied him since he took the thorn out of the silver ... . One of the four great Doctors of the Latin Church, St. Jerome was born near Aquileia (Italy) in 347. Trained in Rome, he was an accomplished rhetorician and polyglot. Baptized at the age of nineteen, between 375 and 378 he retired to the Syrian desert to lead an anchorite's life. He returned to Rome in 382 and became a collaborator of Pope Damasus. One of the most frequent representations of this saint is his penance in the desert. His attributes are the stone he uses to beat his chest and the skull on which he meditates. Also the cardinal's cape (or a red mantle), although he was never a cardinal, and the tamed lion. The latter comes from a story of the "Golden Legend", where it is narrated that one day, when he was explaining the Bible to the monks of his convent, he saw a lion coming with a limp. He removed the thorn from its paw, and from then on he kept it in his service, instructing it to look after his donkey while it grazed. Some merchants stole the donkey, and the lion recovered it, returning it to the saint without hurting the animal.

Estim. 3 000 - 3 200 EUR

Lot 31 - Spanish school of the XVI century. "Annunciation". Oil on copper. Measurements: 22 x 17 cm. An indeterminate background focuses attention on the figures, located in the foreground and large, as befits this theme following the approaches arising in the Council of Trent. Mary, dressed in a pink tunic, blue mantle and veil covering her hair, appears in front of a lectern with a book, making the usual gesture of surprise with her hands before the arrival of the Archangel, on the right. The clothes of this second figure (the Archangel Gabriel) appear moved by the wind, and he carries a palm of martyrdom with one hand, pointing upwards with the other, where the dove of the Holy Spirit is flying. The Annunciation is one of the most represented themes in Christian art for marking the Incarnation of Christ as man and as God, with Mary maintaining her purity and virginal state, points of great theological importance. Thus, throughout the evolution of the different styles in European art, there is a great variety of models and different details according to style, school and period. The present work is clearly related to Baroque works because of the palette chosen, the iconography (with details maintained from previous traditions), the Baroque scenography (albeit slow and balanced), the colors used (of great expressive force) and the hallmarks of light, etc.

Estim. 1 200 - 1 500 EUR

Lot 32 - Italian school; XVIII century. "Heavenly Court". Oil on panel. Measurements: 45 x 78 cm; 63 x 95 cm (frame).

Estim. 2 400 - 2 800 EUR

Lot 33 - School of ADRIAEN BROUWER (Belgium, 1605 - 1638). "Musician in the tavern". Oil on board adhered to cardboard. It presents slight craquelure of epoch. Measurements: 27 x 21,50 cm; 41,50 x 37 cm (frame). The artist of this composition belongs to the school of Adriaen Brouwer, specialist in painting taverns. It belongs to this genre, created in early Baroque Flanders by the masters Adriaen Brouwer (1605 - 1638) and David Teniers (1610 - 1690), which was soon to arrive in Holland. As its name suggests, these are scenes set in taverns, called costumbrista works for showing the common customs of the common people of the time, with a variety of styles important, but always maintaining both the theme and a clear preference for an earthy palette. Influenced by the two masters mentioned above, the painter who makes this type of work, usually works an interior space with a very refined chromatic range, based on earthy and ochre tones, typical of the naturalism of the first baroque. In terms of style, these painters would normally be close to Teniers (more detailed works; precise, loose but short brushstrokes, defining the forms and qualities of figures and objects, without downplaying the importance of drawing), or Brower (more caricatured style, and brushstrokes and forms different from those of Teniers). Adriaen Brouwer was a Flemish painter specialized in genre painting, active in Flanders and the United Provinces of the Netherlands in the 17th century. He was an important innovator of genre painting through his scenes of peasant life, tavern interiors with brawlers, smokers, drinkers and expressive portraits (the so-called "tronies"). At the end of his career he painted landscapes that denote a tragic intensity. His work had an important influence on the next generation of Flemish and Dutch genre painters. His works are preserved in national museums around the world, including the Prado Museum and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Brouwer trained in Holland, in the workshop of Frans Hals. However, conflicts with his master led the young man to flee to Amsterdam, finally settling permanently in Antwerp in 1931, where he died prematurely just seven years later. Between 1631 and 1632 he became a teacher at the Guild of St. Luke in that city. Despite his short career, Brouwer was the creator of a new genre within the painting of customs, the tavern scenes. His works were mainly of small format, generally starring popular and low-life characters, usually drunk, showing a certain violence in their attitudes and behavior. This type of images allowed Brouwer to experiment with the capture of emotions and expressions of pain, fear and other feelings, revealing an interest in human aspects that goes beyond the traditional conception of genre painting. Despite his problems with the law and also economic problems, Brouwer was a respected painter during his lifetime, and in fact both Rubens and Rembrandt acquired some of his works. Today, works by Adriaen Brouwer are preserved in the most prominent art galleries around the world, including the Louvre Museum in Paris, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, the Prado in Madrid, the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, the National Gallery in London, the Smithsonian in Washington D.C., the Kunstmuseum in Basel and the Ashmolean in Oxford. It presents slight cracking of the period.

Estim. 2 000 - 3 000 EUR

Lot 34 - Spanish school of the XVIII century. "San Bruno". Oil on canvas. It presents losses of polychrome and generalized breaks. Measurements: 79 x 58 cm. In this work we see San Bruno dressed as a Carthusian, with his austere white habit and, next to him, the mitre and the crosier. He appears kneeling on the floor, before a lectern with the open Gospels. He joins his hands in a prayerful attitude and raises his gaze to heaven. Stylistically, the canvas is dominated by the influence of Italian Baroque aesthetics, which can be seen in the rhetoric of the gesture and in the marked chiaroscuro. Bruno of Cologne (c. 1030-1101) was a German monk, founder of the contemplative religious order of the Carthusians. During his youth he was a canon in Cologne, and studied secular and theological letters. Later he went to Reims, in France, to study theology, and became a professor in 1057. In this city he became director of teaching, and among his students was Eudes of Chatillon, the future Pope Urban II. He later opted for the life of a hermit, under the direction of Robert of Molesmes. Bishop Hugo of Grenoble gave him the mountainous area of the Charterhouse, where he built an oratory surrounded by cells, which would give rise to the Carthusian order in 1084. Called to Rome some time later, he helped in the reform of Urban II. However, he preferred the contemplative life, so he returned to solitude, resigning the archbishopric of Reggio. He then retired to the Carthusian monastery of La Torre, in Calabria, where he lived in solitude with a few lay people and some clerics, and there he died and was buried.

Estim. 500 - 600 EUR

Lot 35 - Spanish school of the XIX century Following ZACARIAS GONZÁLEZ VELÁZQUEZ (Madrid, 1763 - 1863). "Annunciation". Oil on canvas. Presents breaks in the lower margin and generalized polychrome losses. Measurements: 41 x 33,5 cm. Devotional painting representing the biblical passage of the Annunciation. The archangel Gabriel is carrying a lily rod, appearing to Mary to announce her immaculate conception. Indicating to her the divine nature of her son, he points to heaven. A choir of seraphim witness the sacred event. In the way of resolving the bodies and in the chromatic luminosity of the whole, the influence of the religious painting of Zacarias Gonzalez can be appreciated. It presents breaks in the lower margin and generalized losses of polychromy.

Estim. 300 - 400 EUR

Lot 36 - Spanish school of the 17th-18th century. "Dead Christ with St. John and Mary Magdalene". Paper pulp. Remains of polychrome. Presents faults, marks of use and wear. Measurements: 26 x 22 cm (irregular); 29 x 26 cm (frame). In this relief entirely made in paper pulp is represented the theme of the Lamentation before the body of Christ, a theme paired with the Descent from the Cross. The scene of the lamentation or weeping over the body of the dead Christ is part of the cycle of the Passion, and is intercalated between the Descent from the Cross and the Holy Burial. It narrates the moment in which the body of Christ is deposited on a shroud (in other cases, on the stone of anointing) and they are arranged around him, bursting in laments and sobs, his mother, St. John, the holy women, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. It is a very emotional theme, fruit of popular piety, which concentrates the attention on the drama of the Passion and the loving and sorrowful contemplation, with a realistic and moving sense. In Byzantium, and in the representations of Byzantine influence, the figure of Christ rests on the slab of the anointing, where his corpse was perfumed and prepared to receive burial, which later in Italian art will become a sepulcher. This scene does not appear in the Gospels, but finds its origin in mystical literature and religious texts of piety, as well as in those of the confraternities of flagellants.

Estim. 800 - 1 000 EUR

Lot 37 - Dutch school of the 18th century. "River landscape with characters". Oil on panel. Measurements: 13 x 19 cm; 20 x 25 cm (frame). Undoubtedly, it was in the painting of the Dutch school where the consequences of the political emancipation of the region, as well as of the economic prosperity of the liberal bourgeoisie were manifested more openly. The combination of the discovery of nature, objective observation, the study of the concrete, the appreciation of the everyday, the taste for the real and material, the sensitivity to the seemingly insignificant, made the Dutch artist commune with the reality of everyday life, without seeking any ideal alien to that same reality. The painter did not seek to transcend the present and the materiality of objective nature or to escape from tangible reality, but to envelop himself in it, to become intoxicated by it through the triumph of realism, a realism of pure illusory fiction, achieved thanks to a perfect and masterful technique and a conceptual subtlety in the lyrical treatment of light. Because of the break with Rome and the iconoclastic tendency of the Reformed Church, paintings with religious themes were eventually eliminated as a decorative complement with a devotional purpose, and mythological stories lost their heroic and sensual tone, in accordance with the new society. Thus, portraits, landscapes and animals, still life and genre painting were the thematic formulas that became valuable in their own right and, as objects of domestic furniture - hence the small size of the paintings - were acquired by individuals of almost all classes and social classes.

Estim. 700 - 800 EUR

Lot 38 - After FRANS FRANCKEN II (Antwerp, Belgium, 1581 - 1642). "The Holy Supper". Oil on copper. Presents restorations and Repainting. Measurements: 30 x 24 cm; 40 x 33 cm (frame). This work maintains the same oval format as the original by Fran Francken II. It represents in the foreground the Holy Supper and in the background Jesus Christ washing the feet of St. Peter. In the four corners appear in grisaille the four Evangelists and God the Father. The most fruitful of his family of painters, he trained with his father, Frans Francken I, and in 1605 he joined the Painters' Guild of St. Luke in Antwerp, thus beginning a career that would last until 1640, when he specialized in cabinet painting. His contribution to this genre was of great importance, influencing artists such as Teniers. His style is based on that of Jan Brueghel de Velours, although it also shows strong influences of his father and his uncle, Hieronimus Francken. In his early works, debts to Mannerism and 16th century painting can be appreciated, both in the structure of the compositions and in the rhythm and expression of his figures. They also include evident references to the work of Italian artists such as Raphael, Veronese and Zuccaro. Likewise, the use of prints by Dürer and Lucas de Leyden for some of his figures has been demonstrated. In addition to cabinet painting, Francken painted mythological and biblical themes, some altarpieces and, in collaboration with other artists, painted the figures in landscapes or interior scenes of Tobias Verhaecht, Joos de Momper II, Pieter Neefs or Paul Vredeman de Vries, among others. He is currently represented in the most important art galleries in the world, such as the Prado Museum, the Louvre, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp, the Kunshistorisches Museum in Vienna, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg and the Royal Collection in London, among many others.

Estim. 2 200 - 2 500 EUR

Lot 39 - 18th century Flemish school. "The denial of St. Peter". Oil on copper. Presents restorations and Repainting. Measurements: 22 x 17 cm; 32 x 27 cm (frame). Thematically this work shows the biblical theme of the Denial of St. Peter, related to the Cycle of the Passion of Christ and that appears in the New Testament, in which Christ prophesies at the last supper, where he announced to the apostle that, despite being his faithful follower, before the rooster crowed on the day of the Crucifixion he would have denied him three times. St. Peter (Bethsaida, c. 1 B.C. - Rome, 67) was, according to the New Testament, a fisherman, known for being one of Jesus' twelve apostles. The Catholic Church identifies him through the apostolic succession as the first Pope, based, among other arguments, on the words addressed to him by Jesus: "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the power of Death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." St. Peter could be said to have been Jesus' confessor, his closest disciple, both being united by a very special bond, as narrated in both the canonical and apocryphal Gospels.

Estim. 1 400 - 1 600 EUR

Lot 40 - Spanish school of the 18th century. "Immaculate". Oil on copper. Measurements: 11.5 x 16.5 cm; 33 x 28 cm (frame). This painting follows Murillesque models in iconography and style. The Immaculate, characterized as an adolescent, beautiful and virginal, steps on the crescent moon while she rises towards the skies surrounded by cherubs in foreshortening. The figures are integrated in the vaporous atmosphere, between luminous refulgences. The theme of the Conception is combined with that of the Assumption, alluding to the Glory of Mary. This same model, but with variations, was applied by Murillo in a variety of Marian paintings, which would enjoy great popularity, influencing Spanish painters of the Baroque and later periods. When Murillo established his model of the Immaculate Conception, the devotion to the Virgin was experiencing a great boom in Spain. Thus, the theme of the Immaculate Conception came to constitute one of the national identity signs of Spain as a Catholic country. It is one of the most genuinely local themes of Spanish Baroque painting, since our country was the main defender of this mystery, and the one that fought most insistently to make it a dogma of faith. In this context, numerous artists and intellectuals worked to build a clear iconography that would help to spread the Immaculate Conception, bringing together symbolism and popular fervor.

Estim. 400 - 500 EUR

Lot 41 - Spanish school of the XVIII century. After PIETER VAN AVONT (Mecheln 1600-1652). "Holy Family and San Juanito". Oil on copper. Presents restoration and Repainting. Measurements: 22 x 17 cm; 32 x 27 cm (frame). This painting follows closely the original painting by Pieter Van Avont in which, as here, represents the Holy Family accompanied by San Juanito. Flemish painter, draughtsman and engraver of the early Baroque period, Peeter van Avont specialized in portraiture, religious (mainly of the Holy Family) and historical subjects, and also made copies of great contemporary masters such as Rubens or Van Dyck. In 1620 he reached the rank of master in the painters' guild of his native Mechelen, although in 1622 we find him already in Antwerp, as a member of the Gilda of St. Luke. Settled in that city, he obtained citizenship in 1631. After marrying twice, van Avont settled in the town of Deurne, near Antwerp, where he finally died in 1652. He frequently collaborated with other masters, a common practice among Central European masters of the time, due to the great specialization by genre that occurred in the Baroque period. Thus, van Avont worked with Jan Brueghel the Elder, David Vinckboons, Lucas van Uden and Jan Wildens, among others. In his workshop he had disciples such as Frans Wouters, who finally went to Rubens' workshop in 1634 to complete his training.

Estim. 3 000 - 4 000 EUR

Lot 42 - Spanish school of the 18th century. "Infant Jesus, Savior of the World". Oil on copper. Measurements: 18 x 14 cm; 22 x 18 cm (frame). This oil on copper represents the Child Jesus as "Salvator Mundi", an iconography that alludes to the Christological concept of Jesus Christ as universal savior, in relation to his role as judge in the Final Judgment and his character of Redeemer. It is characterized by presenting Christ holding with one hand an orb (sometimes topped by a cross) while with the other hand he usually makes the sign of blessing (in this case, as he sleeps, he rests on the sphere).

Estim. 400 - 500 EUR

Lot 43 - Flemish school; XVII century. "Portrait of a gentleman". Oil on canvas. Relined. It presents Repainting. Measurements: 75 x 58 cm; 88 x 70 cm (frame). Outstanding male portrait, three quarters on neutral background, representing a middle-aged man and aristocratic bearing. Resolved in realistic language, the painter delves into the psychology of the character. His angular features underline the severity of his character. The neck defined by a large ruff and the flesh tones are modeled with a clear light that also extracts the volume of the character. He rests his hand on a clock where the representation of a saint can be seen. The portrait was one of the most important genres in Flemish painting of the 17th century. In capturing the personality of this gentleman or aristocrat that we show, the teaching of masters such as Rembrandt or Frans Hals is ratified. The technical quality, the realism and the veracity of the face of the protagonist bring the work closer to the style of the Flemish school. A school in which the portrait, both individual and group, and even the character, tried to embody the relationships of the individual with society, thus popularizing its creation. This genre covers a third of the total production of the Flemish school. It presents Repainting.

Estim. 2 000 - 2 500 EUR

Lot 44 - 18th century Dutch miniature. "Portrait of a gentleman". Painting on copper of oval shape. Wooden frame. It shows wear, some faults and some Repainting. Measurements: 10 x 8 cm; 17 x 14 cm (frame). The miniature portraits were developed in Europe from the sixteenth century. They consisted of small paintings embedded in objects such as medallions, table clocks or small boxes. The frame of these portraits was usually oval or circular. They were made in a great variety of techniques, such as oil on copper, tin or ivory, gouaches on parchment or cardboard and, since the 18th century, watercolor on ivory. This delicate art will be lost since the second half of the 19th century, in parallel to the development of photography.

Estim. 500 - 550 EUR

Lot 45 - 18th century Dutch miniatures. "Lady and knights". Three oval paintings on copper. A single wooden frame. They show wear, some lack and Repainting. Measurements: 8 x 6 cm (larger); 14 x 35,5 cm (frame). Miniature portraits were developed in Europe from the sixteenth century. They consisted of small paintings embedded in objects such as medallions, table clocks or small boxes. The frame of these portraits was usually oval or circular. They were made in a great variety of techniques, such as oil on copper, tin or ivory, gouaches on parchment or cardboard and, since the 18th century, watercolor on ivory. This delicate art will be lost since the second half of the 19th century, in parallel to the development of photography.

Estim. 1 500 - 1 600 EUR

Lot 46 - Spanish school of the XVIII century. "St. Francis of Assisi. Oil on canvas adhered to board. Frame of the eighteenth century with some faults. Measurements: 72 x 54 cm; 83 x 64 cm (frame). In this representation in oval format of Saint Francis of Assisi, the author follows closely the late-baroque postulates in the luminous, contrasted and expressive handling. The saint, half-length, directs his gaze to the crucifix, to which he dedicates his prayers. Other attributes that identify him are the monastic tonsure, the habit, the bouquet with lilies (symbol of purity that also identifies St. Joseph) and the Gospels resting on the table next to a flaming candle. St. Francis (Assisi, Italy, 1182 - 1226) was the son of a wealthy Italian merchant. Baptized as John, he was soon known as "Francesco" (the little Frenchman), because his mother came from that country. His youth was joyful and carefree until the age of twenty-five, when he changed completely and began to dedicate himself to the service of God, practicing the Gospel ideal: purity, detachment and joy in peace. Francesco renounces the great inheritance received from his parents and decides to live poorly, giving an example of authentic Christianity. He soon had several young disciples, called by the saint "order of the Friars Minor". In 1210, Pope Innocent III granted them the foundation of the new order and encouraged them in their evangelical tasks. During a retreat on the mountain, Christ appeared to him, and legend has it that from his wounds came rays that caused Francis various stigmata. He was a legendary character during his lifetime, considered a living relic.

Estim. 1 000 - 1 200 EUR

Lot 47 - European school, end of XVIII century-early XIX century. "Virgin and Child. Oil on copper. Period frame. It presents losses of paint. Measurements: 21 x 16 cm; 37 x 32 cm (frame). Devotional image representing the Virgin in prayerful attitude before the placidly sleeping body of the Child Jesus. Stylistically, the painting is ascribed to a period of transition to neoclassicism. Care is taken with the glazes and transparencies to describe the fineness of the Marian veil and the sheet edged with lace. Intense hallmarks of light modulate the faces, whose white flesh tones seem to give off a light of their own.

Estim. 1 000 - 1 200 EUR

Lot 48 - Spanish school of the 17th century and later. Carved and polychrome wood. Later polychrome. Presents faults. Measurements: 94 x 64 x 13 cm. Christ of three nails, carved in wood and polychrome, of achieved verismo. It is a suffering figure, expiring, with open eyes begging for mercy and head tilted. The carver has worked the anatomy with remarkable detail, creating a slender but muscular body. Baroque iconographic models are followed, bearers of a withdrawn pathos, of a contained suffering. The representation of the crucifixion has undergone an evolution parallel to the liturgical and theological variations of the catholic doctrine in which we want to point out three milestones: at the beginning the paleochristian art omitted the representation of the human figure of Christ and the crucifixion was represented by means of the "Agnus Dei", the mystical lamb carrying the cross of martyrdom. Until the eleventh century Christ is represented crucified but alive and triumphant, with his eyes open, according to the Byzantine rite that does not consider the possibility of the existence of the corpse of Christ. Later, under the theological consideration that the death of the Savior is not due to an organic process but to an act of divine will, Christ is represented, as in our work, already dead with his eyes closed and his head fallen on the right shoulder, showing the sufferings of the passion, provoking commiseration, as referred to in Psalm 22 when he says: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (...) a mob of the wicked is near me: they have pierced my hands and my feet (...) they have divided my garments and cast lots for my tunic".

Estim. 500 - 600 EUR

Lot 49 - Granada School of the 18th century. "Purísima Concepción". Carved and polychrome wood. Later polychromy. Damage by xylophages. Measurements: 53 x 21 x 21 cm. We are in front of a carving in round bulk representing the Virgin in her invocation of Immaculate Conception. Mary is shown standing on a set of cherubic heads, from which the peaks of the lunar crescent emerge. Dressed in a simple tunic and with a blue mantle, she joins her hands in a prayerful attitude, which imprints a naturalistic play of folds to the mantle. Her hair falls loosely down her back, and the features of her fine face and long neck add a remarkable elegance, stylizing her bearing. The theme of the Immaculate Conception highlights the fact that Mary was born free of Original Sin. To emphasize this ideal, the Virgin is usually represented with a series of characteristics that the faithful knew and identified. Thus, she is presented dressed in a white tunic and a blue mantle, symbols of purity and of truth and eternity, respectively. The moon at her feet alludes to Diana's chastity, and the clouds and the little angels reflect her character of mediator before the celestial court, rather than her victory over Original Sin, an idea that was the main one during the Counter-Reformation. The seventeenth-century Granada school, based on the previous Renaissance school, included great figures such as Pablo de Rojas, Juan Martínez Montañés (who was trained in the city with the previous one), Alonso de Mena, Alonso Cano, Pedro de Mena, Bernardo de Mora, Pedro Roldán, Torcuato Ruiz del Peral, etc. In general, the school does not neglect the beauty of the images and also follows the naturalism, as usual at the time, but it would always emphasize more the intimate and recollection in some delicate images that would be somewhat similar to the rest of Andalusian schools in another series of details but that do not usually have the monumentality of the Sevillian ones.

Estim. 600 - 700 EUR

Lot 50 - Spanish school of the 17th century. "Crucified Christ". Carved and polychrome wood. Later cross of the twentieth century. Presents faults. Measurements: 26 x 28 x 7 cm (Christ); 56 x 36 x 9 cm (cross). Christ of three nails, carved in wood and polychrome, of achieved verismo. It is a suffering figure, expiring, with the eyes already closed and head tilted. The carver has worked the anatomy with remarkable detail, creating a slender body but with marked musculature, in "déhanchement" or slight movement of the hips that accompanies the bending of a leg and adds expressiveness. Baroque iconographic models are followed, bearers of a withdrawn pathos, of a contained suffering. The cloth of purity is stiffened, printing a play of chiaroscuro. The representation of the crucifixion has undergone an evolution parallel to the liturgical and theological variations of the catholic doctrine in which we want to point out three milestones: at the beginning the paleochristian art omitted the representation of the human figure of Christ and the crucifixion was represented by means of the "Agnus Dei", the mystical lamb carrying the cross of martyrdom. Until the eleventh century Christ is represented crucified but alive and triumphant, with his eyes open, according to the Byzantine rite that does not consider the possibility of the existence of the corpse of Christ. Later, under the theological consideration that the death of the Savior is not due to an organic process but to an act of divine will, Christ is represented, as in our work, already dead with his eyes closed and his head fallen on the right shoulder, showing the sufferings of the passion, provoking commiseration, as referred to in Psalm 22 when he says: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (...) a mob of the wicked is near me: they have pierced my hands and my feet (...) they have divided my garments and cast lots for my tunic".

Estim. 300 - 500 EUR

Lot 51 - Spanish school of the 17th century. "Christ crucified". Carved and polychrome wood. It presents faults in the carving and polychrome. Old xylophages. Measurements: 65 x 47 x 13 cm (Christ); 90 x 53 x 17 cm (cross). Christ of three nails, carved in wood and polychrome, of achieved verism. It is a suffering figure, expiring, with the eyes already closed and the head tilted. The carver has worked the anatomy with remarkable detail, creating a slender body but with marked musculature, in "déhanchement" or slight movement of the hips that accompanies the bending of a leg and adds expressiveness. Baroque iconographic models are followed, bearers of a withdrawn pathos, of a contained suffering. The cloth of purity is stiffened, printing a play of chiaroscuro. The representation of the crucifixion has undergone an evolution parallel to the liturgical and theological variations of the catholic doctrine in which we want to point out three milestones: at the beginning the paleochristian art omitted the representation of the human figure of Christ and the crucifixion was represented by means of the "Agnus Dei", the mystical lamb carrying the cross of martyrdom. Until the eleventh century Christ is represented crucified but alive and triumphant, with his eyes open, according to the Byzantine rite that does not consider the possibility of the existence of the corpse of Christ. Later, under the theological consideration that the death of the Savior is not due to an organic process but to an act of divine will, Christ is represented, as in our work, already dead with his eyes closed and his head fallen on the right shoulder, showing the sufferings of the passion, provoking commiseration, as referred to in Psalm 22 when he says: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (...) a mob of the wicked is near me: they have pierced my hands and my feet (...) they have divided my garments and cast lots for my tunic".

Estim. 900 - 1 200 EUR

Lot 52 - Spanish school of the 16th century. "Christ crucified". Carved wood. With remains of gilding in the purity cloth. Ebonized wood cross with silver details at the ends of the arms. It presents faults in the carving. Measurements: 35 x 35 x 5 cm (Christ); 66 x 46 x 9 cm (cross). Wooden sculpture of a crucified Christ. The devotional effigy denotes quality in the carving and interest in capturing the beauty of the human body. In spite of being an anatomy in which the imprint of the pathos is impressed by the stigmata, the carver (ascribed to the Renaissance tradition) turns the limbs with skill and gives the whole a noble and harmonious bearing. The tilted head is already resting from suffering. The closed eyelids and the wiry face, framed by a beard worked tuft by tuft, give a veristic countenance. It is a Christ with three nails, covered by a cloth of purity that is stirred by an invisible wind, folding in bold draperies. The extended index finger alludes to the dual nature of Jesus, human and divine.

Estim. 900 - 1 200 EUR

Lot 53 - Spanish school of the 16th century. "Salvator Mundi". Carved and polychrome wood. It presents faults in the carving and polychromy. Remains of xylophages. Measurements: 60 x 22 x 15 cm. Round sculpture representing the Child Jesus as "Salvator Mundi", an iconography that alludes to the Christological concept of Jesus Christ as universal savior, in relation to his role as judge in the Final Judgment and his character of Redeemer. It is characterized by presenting Christ holding with one hand an orb (sometimes topped by a cross) while with the other hand he usually makes the sign of blessing.

Estim. 300 - 350 EUR

Lot 54 - Spanish school of the 18th century. "Baby Jesus". Carved and polychrome wood. Vitreous paste eyes. Articulated arms. Presents faults in the carving and polychrome. Measurements: 15 x 59 x 4,5 cm. Devotional image of round bulk carved in wood and polychrome, representing the naked Baby Jesus (originally, he would wear rich royal clothes made to measure), with kinky hair, standing on a golden base and carved with moldings, raising his hands. It is a magnificently worked carving at anatomical level, of extraordinary naturalism, following the baroque canons of the Spanish school. Spanish baroque sculpture is one of the most authentic and personal examples of our art, because its conception and its form of expression arose from the people and the deepest feelings that nested in it. With the economy of the State broken, the nobility in decline and the high clergy burdened with heavy taxes, it was the monasteries, the parishes and the confraternities of clerics and laymen who promoted its development, the works sometimes being financed by popular subscription. Sculpture was thus compelled to embody the prevailing ideals in these environments, which were none other than religious ones, at a time when the counter-reformist doctrine demanded from art a realistic language so that the faithful would understand and identify with what was represented, and an expression endowed with an intense emotional content to increase the fervor and devotion of the people. The religious subject is, therefore, the preferred theme of Spanish sculpture of this period, which in the first decades of the century began with a priority interest in capturing the natural, to progressively intensify throughout the century the expression of expressive values, which is achieved through the movement and variety of gestures, the use of light resources and the representation of moods and feelings.

Estim. 500 - 550 EUR

Lot 55 - Spanish or Flemish school of the 17th century. "St. Joseph with Child". Oil on copper. Silver metal frame. With glass. Measurements: 15.5 x 12 cm; 17 x 14 x 1 x 1 cm (frame). Until the Counter-Reformation, the most common thing was that the figure of St. Joseph remained in the background, since it was not given any theological importance. However, after Trent, his leading role as protector of Jesus during his childhood, as a guide during his youth, was recovered, and as such he is represented here. In contrast to the tenderness, defenselessness and candor of the infant figure, St. Joseph is presented as a monumental character, typically baroque, an impression that is reinforced by the pyramidal composition of the image. Through this form of representation, the author visually enhances the decisive role as protector of the putative father of Jesus.

Estim. 500 - 600 EUR

Lot 56 - School of DOMENICO TIÉPOLO (Venice, 1696- Madrid, 1770). "Oriental gentleman". Oil on panel. Presents faults. Measurements: 35 x 28 x 2 cm. This half-length portrait of a knight wearing an ermine cap belongs to the portrait painting that Giovanni Battista Tiepolo carried out of the members of the royalty. The warm and sensual shades model the features giving it psychological depth. A long, bushy beard frames the stylized oval, and soft folds crease the unkempt forehead. The Venetian Giambattista Tiepolo was one of the greatest painters of 18th century Europe, and the magnificent first master of the Gran Manera, an idealized aesthetic derived from classicism. His art exalts the imagination by translating the world of ancient history, myth, scripture and sacred legends into a grandiose and theatrical language, typical of the late Baroque. Tiepolo developed an aesthetic that, starting from the convention of his formative period, evolved brilliantly, becoming increasingly splendid, celebrating the notion of Italian "capriccio" and "fantasia". He was one of the most important Italian fresco painters of his time, as well as an easel painter and engraver, considered the last great painter of the Baroque era and one of the most outstanding figures of the Italian Rococo. Especially decisive was his birth in Venice; his first teacher was Giorgio Lazzarini, who trained him in the study of the Venetian masters of the 16th century. He learned mainly the chromaticism and the violent chiaroscuro effects of Veronese. He began his career working for the Venetian Cornari and Dolfin families, and around 1718-1720 he executed his first important work, the series of canvases on Queen Zenobia for the Ca'Zenobio palace in his native Venice. He was a very active painter not only in Venice, but also in other areas of northern Italy and, in 1761, he was called to Madrid by Charles III to decorate the Throne Room of the new Royal Palace. Always supported by his sons Domenico and Lorenzo, Tiepolo worked in the palace between 1762 and 1766, and finally decided to remain working for the Spanish court, accepting various royal commissions as a chamber painter. Works by this painter are currently preserved in leading art galleries in Europe and America, such as the Prado Museum, the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Louvre in Paris, the Academy Gallery in Venice, the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, the Kunsthistorisches in Vienna, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid, the National Museum in Stockholm, the Pinacoteca de Brera in Milan and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, among others.

Estim. 2 000 - 3 000 EUR

Lot 57 - Spanish school of the 18th century. "San Francisco de Paula". Oil on canvas. Presents restorations and faults. Frame of the nineteenth century, with faults. Measurements: 70 x 60 cm; 91 x 72 x 3 cm (frame). Painting of late-baroque period and style, appreciable in the marked chiaroscuro that give the devotional image dramatic intensity. The saint holds his hand to his heart while looking at the celestial glow in which the word "Caritas" is engraved. St. Francis of Paola (1416-1507) was an Italian hermit and founder of the Order of Minims. At a very young age he began his life as a hermit on the outskirts of his native town of Paula. Little by little he acquired fame for his prodigies, and around 1450 there was already a group of followers around his figure. His community grew, and in 1470 the Congregation of Hermits (the future Order of Minims) received diocesan approval from the Archbishop of Consenza. Four years later, Pope Sixtus IV granted them pontifical approval. In 1483 Francis of Paola went to France by order of the Pope and at the request of King Louis XI. There he developed some diplomatic work in favor of the Holy See, at the same time that he tried to obtain the approval of a Rule for his congregation, which he finally obtained in 1493. Until his death, Francis of Paola would count on the support and protection of the French monarchs, and a few years after his death, processes for his canonization would begin in Calabria, Tourse and Amiens, in which numerous witnesses of his life and miracles testified. He was finally beatified in 1513 and canonized in 1519. The iconography of this saint is abundant. The best known effigy, which has inspired many painters, is the one by Jean Bourdichon, a French painter contemporary to Francis of Paola. In it the saint appears in the habit, an old man with a grave face and a thick gray beard, leaning on a simple staff.

Estim. 300 - 400 EUR

Lot 58 - Spanish school; XIX century. "Portrait of Philip IV. Oil on canvas. It has a frame following ancient models. Measurements: 63 x 49 cm; 79 x 65 cm (frame). The work is a version of the well-known portrait of Philip IV of advanced age, painted by Velázquez and preserved in the Prado Museum. The brilliant painter presents the king soberly dressed in black, as was customary for the monarch and the high nobility of the time, with a somewhat melancholy expression and cheeks somewhat sunken by age. The king, who had always sought veracity in his portraits, upon seeing himself thus effigied, on his way to old age, seems to have exclaimed that this would be the last portrait that would be made of him. It is, in fact, an image of the monarch that has become iconic, since it was widely used by other artists of the time, becoming the official image of the end of the reign of Philip IV. Velázquez concentrates all the attention on the face and expression, dispensing with the marks of power and the elements that denote sumptuousness and wealth (draperies, furniture, jewelry), so common in Baroque portraiture. The artist thus achieves a work of great psychological depth.

Estim. 900 - 1 000 EUR

Lot 59 - Majorcan school; XVII century. "Allegory of smell". Oil on canvas. Relined. Presents restorations. Measurements: 72 x 101 cm; 90 x 117 cm (frame). The allegorical paintings arose from the Middle Ages with the intention of exalting the qualities and situations of life. This type of portraits were used to exalt the qualities of a particular character, such as kings, or recognized personalities. In this particular case it is not about a recognized character, but the painter wanted to reflect the initial concept of the use of allegory in pictorial art. A young man stands between two bouquets of flowers that are the undisputed protagonists of the scene. The piece is not only an allegory of the senses, but also of the concept of the splendor and beauty of youth, which is completely ephemeral. The Mallorcan school of still lifes shows a strong influence of the Valencian school, although it had its own personality and must have enjoyed a certain importance, given the number of works that have survived to the present day. It developed mainly from the late seventeenth century and during the eighteenth century, from the appearance of the figure of Guillermo Mesquida (1625-1747), which will raise the level of Mallorcan painting. He was the most famous painter of the Balearic Baroque and absolute dominator of the artistic panorama between the end of the XVII and the first half of the XVIII. He was an excellent painter of still lifes, although we do not preserve today not a single one of them that we can attribute to him with absolute certainty. His biographers indicate that he was a disciple in Rome of the Italian Carlos Marata, a painter who had great influence in the development of still life, since he collaborated with numerous specialists of this genre. Mesquida represented in his works fruits, animals and flowers, and founded in Mallorca a workshop in which numerous works would be made, some of which are still preserved today. His style would have been characterized by a great chromatic richness and a clear ostentatiousness and abundance of fruit and floral elements, traits that would be inherited by his followers of the Majorcan school. Thanks to Mesquida's influence, the Mallorcan still life painters picked up Italian elements, especially Neapolitan and Roman, always combined with the influence of the Valencian school. It presents restorations.

Estim. 5 000 - 6 000 EUR

Lot 60 - Spanish school; end of the XVII century. "Hunter". Oil on board glued to the frame. Measurements: 31.5 x 22 cm; 49 x 41 cm (frame). In this panel the author shows us a scene that seems to be taken from everyday life, a costumbrista scene, but that nevertheless keeps a deeper allegorical meaning. Starring a young hunter holding a rabbit, the protagonist portrayed in the foreground directs his gaze towards a point located on the outside of the composition, with an absent gesture, so that the author focuses much of his attention on capturing the psychology of the character. It is a genre in which popular types and attitudes, behaviors, values and habits common to a specific group of the population, region or class are described through the description, satirical, nostalgic or narrative, of the environments, customs, clothing, parties and entertainment, traditions, trades and representative types of a society. The idea of costumbrismo arose from an attempt to understand reality, or more precisely, reality understood in a particular way, from a specific point of view.

Estim. 1 500 - 1 800 EUR

Lot 61 - Italian school, following GIOVANNI BATISTA SALVI ; "Il Sassoferrato" (Sassoferrato, 1609 - Rome, 1685). I; 17th century. "Madonna of the Annunciation". Oil on canvas. Relined. It presents Repainting and restorations on the pictorial surface. Measurements: 55 x 57 cm; 78 x 81 cm (frame). Regarding the thematic allusive to the Virgin of the Annunciation, the iconographic tradition gathers a more narrative scene, in which the Archangel Gabriel appears to the Virgin, to transfer the news to her that she is pregnant. Normally the Virgin is placed behind an altar or table, where a book or white lilies, iconographic attributes associated with the Virgin, are usually placed. However, over the centuries the elements began to be reduced as can be seen in important works that collect the same iconography of the annunciation, based exclusively on the representation of the Virgin. An example of this is The Madonna of the Annunciation of Messina. Aesthetically he follows the models established by Giovanni Battista Salvi, Italian Baroque painter appreciated, above all, for the creation of devotional images in which he united the Bolognese classicist current and the tenebrism of caravaggista tradition, with a great variety of models and much diffusion, which often makes it difficult to be able to attribute works to him with certainty. He began his training at the hand of his father, Tarquinio Salvi, extending it with Domenichino. He settled permanently in Rome, soon achieving a certain success for his gentle painting, allowing him to establish in the city an important workshop that would repeat the schemes and style of the master. His work is preserved in important institutions such as the National Gallery in London, the Museo del Prado in Madrid, the Barberini Palace in Rome, the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, etc. It presents Repainting and restorations on the pictorial surface.

Estim. 2 500 - 2 800 EUR

Lot 62 - Flemish school; XVII century. "The Holy Face". Oil on oak panel. It presents faults and restorations. Measurements: 44 x 32 cm; 69 x 56,5 cm (frame). The scene represented here, which would later give rise to the iconography of the Holy Face, typical of devotional painting, is an episode that occurred during the Passion of Christ. Exhausted by the blood lost in the scourging, weakened by the physical and moral sufferings that had been inflicted on him the night before, and without having slept, Jesus could barely take a few steps and soon fell under the weight of the cross. Then followed the blows and imprecations of the soldiers, the expectant laughter of the public. Jesus, with all the strength of his will and with all his strength, managed to get up and continue on his way. According to theological interpretations, Jesus invites us with his actions to carry our cross and to follow him, he teaches us that we too can fall, and that we must understand those who fall; that no one must remain prostrate, we must all get up with humility and confidence seeking his help and forgiveness. The scene represented here is the result of the concrete moment when, on the way to Calvary, a woman took off her veil to wipe the face of the Messiah with it. The image of the face of Jesus Christ was imprinted on the linen handkerchief, and it was miraculously preserved through the centuries, becoming an object of worship. The woman would later be called Veronica, whose etymology derives from the Latin "verum" (true) and the Greek "eikon" (image). It presents faults and restorations.

Estim. 3 000 - 4 000 EUR

Lot 63 - School of the BASSANO; XVII century. "Prayer in the garden". Oil on canvas. Relined glued to board. Presents restorations. Measurements: 73 x 94,5 cm; 84 x 106 cm (frame). This devotional painting represents Jesus in the Garden of Olives at the moment when the angel comforts him, while his disciples Peter, John and James sleep beside him (Matthew: ch. 26 v. 37; Mark: ch. 14 v. 33). The Gospels narrate that, distressed by a strange sadness, Jesus went to pray on the Mount of Olives, where the apostles followed him. Once there, Jesus withdraws to one side to pray, the moment of the crucifixion becoming present to him. Thus, this episode begins the bloody Passion in the soul of Christ. The apostles fall into a deep sleep, and an angel appears to Jesus to comfort him. In fact, this episode alludes to the greatest temptation of Jesus' life, the last of all: knowing his destiny, he can either flee from his enemies or continue to fulfill his divine mission, risking his life. Formally we can relate this work to the Bassano school, a key family saga for the development of the Venetian Mannerist school. Its founder was Jacopo Bassano (ca.1515 - 1592), although his father had already been a popular artist, from whom Jacopo learned the costumbrist tone with which he endowed most of his religious compositions. An artist of great success in his time, Jacopo Bassano worked in Venice and other Italian cities, and established a workshop in his native Bassano del Grappa, near Venice. It was there that his four sons, who continued his style, were trained and developed their careers: Francesco the Younger (1549-1592), Gerolamo (1566-1621), Giovanni Battista (1553-1613) and Leandro (1557-1622). It presents restorations.

Estim. 4 200 - 4 800 EUR

Lot 64 - Spanish school; second third of the XVII century. "Saint Catherine of Siena". Oil on canvas. Relined. Measurements: 97 x 144 cm. In this work the painter offers us an image full of mystical emotion, very typical of the Spanish Counter-Reformation art. Thus, we see a work of clear and concise composition, with the saint protagonist of full body in the foreground, highlighted by direct lighting, tenebrist, on a background of dark tones, in whose right area can be seen, in the distance, a landscape. As is also common at this time in the Spanish school, Saint Catherine is shown praying, kneeling with her hands open and her gaze directed towards the sky. Born in Siena around 1347, she took a vow of virginity at the age of seven. As her mother wanted to marry her off, she shaved her head. Received into the Third Order of St. Dominic at the age of sixteen, she led an ascetic life in the convent that ruined her fragile health. She had a particular devotion to St. Agnes of Montepulciano. According to legend, when Catherine visited the tomb of St. Agnes, and was bending over the body of the saint to kiss her foot, the saint raised it to the height of her lips. She was glorified for having contributed to bring Pope Gregory XI to Rome from Avignon. On the occasion of the Western Schism, she took the side of Urban VI. She died in Rome in 1380 and was canonized in 1461.

Estim. 4 800 - 5 000 EUR

Lot 65 - Andalusian School; late seventeenth century. "Holy family". Oil on canvas. Relined. It has an old frame. Measurements: 90 x 120 cm; 99 x 128 cm (frame). Displaced towards the left zone of the image, the Virgin and the Child hold their son who tries to move to approach his cousin Saint Juanito. The Virgin, who, although kind, keeps him on her lap, is placed on a pedestal in the way the author enthroned them in a higher position, thus indicating the relevance of the protagonists. Away from the traditional aesthetics of the representation of the Holy Family, it is interesting to note the presence of a group of small angels that are arranged in front of the main protagonists and bring to the scene a certain dynamism and decorative sense that harmonizes with the powdered and vaporous technique used by the artist to compose the image. The scene takes place in an interior of great opulence inspired by classical architecture, which is open to the outside on the right side, allowing a glimpse of a landscape that brings spatiality to the work. Due to its formal characteristics we can relate this work to the hand of José de Cieza, a baroque painter active in Granada and Madrid in the second half of the 17th century. Trained in the workshop of his father, the painter Miguel Jerónimo de Cieza, the young artist learned in his early years the Flemish formulas of his father's language, which will be visible in his first works. His art will evolve through the knowledge of Alonso Cano's painting, and finally he will reach a mature language characterized by complex architectural perspectives with small figures. Cieza's works are currently preserved in the Prado Museum, the Diocesan Museum of Huesca, the Royal Chapel of Granada, the Monastery of San Jerónimo, the Museum of Fine Arts of Granada and other public and private collections.

Estim. 3 000 - 4 000 EUR

Lot 66 - Spanish school; first half of the 17th century. "Apparition in dreams of Jesus Christ to St. Martin of Tours". Oil on canvas. relined. Measurements: 101 x 76,5 cm; 110 x 87 cm (frame). The figure of Jesus emerges from a golden break of glory, flanked by angels. Christ's gaze is directed towards the earthly plane. He does not step on the ground, but stands on clouds showing his heavenly origin. In the lower left area, a soldier rests, asleep, completely oblivious to the divine presence of Jesus Christ, his soldier's clothes, added to the presence of the shiny helmet in the foreground, indicate that it is St. Martin of Tours. Saint Martin of Tours (Hungary, 316 - France, 397) was a soldier of the Roman imperial guard, and after Christ appeared to him, he left the army and converted, joining the disciples of Saint Hilary of Poitiers. Later he will be named bishop of Tours. The most important legend in relation to his life would have taken place in the winter of the year 337, when Martin was in Amiens, still with the imperial guard, he found at the gates of the city a beggar shivering with cold. The saint then gave him half of his cloak, since the other half belonged to the Roman army in which he served. The following night Christ appears to him, dressed in the half-cloak, to thank him for his gesture. Being one of the most popular saints in Christendom, St. Martin of Tours is the patron saint of soldiers, also of France and Hungary and of numerous cities in different countries. Specifically, in Spanish America he is the patron saint of the city of Buenos Aires, among others in Colombia, Mexico, Chile and Guatemala. Following an ancient tradition, the first members of the government of Buenos Aires, the same year of the foundation of the city (1580), met to give him a saint as protector and patron. San Martín was chosen, but the neighbors refused to let their patron saint be a French saint, so the election was repeated. Three times the same name came up, so the people were convinced that it was God himself who wanted that patron saint.

Estim. 3 500 - 4 000 EUR

Lot 67 - Flemish school; second third of the seventeenth century. "Holy family". Oil on oak panel. Cradled. Brushed board. Presents restorations. Measurements: 51 x 31,5 cm; 62 x 50 cm (frame). In this canvas the Holy Family is represented with the Child in the middle giving his hand to his mother, located to his right. To his left appears the figure of Joseph also offering his hand to the Child and holding in the other hand the flowering branch, which is his main iconographic attribute. Above them the space is opened and the figure of God the Father appears, who is arranged on four little angels that give way to the presence of the dove of the Holy Spirit flying over the Child's head. In the most common sense of the expression, the Holy Family includes the closest relatives of the Child Jesus, that is, mother and grandmother or mother and nurturing father. In both cases, whether it is St. Anne or St. Joseph who appears, it is a group of three figures. From the artistic point of view, the arrangement of this terrestrial Trinity poses the same problems and suggests the same solutions as the heavenly Trinity. However, the difficulties are fewer. It is no longer a question of a single God in three persons whose essential unity must be expressed at the same time as diversity. The three personages are united by a blood bond, certainly, but they do not constitute an indivisible block. Moreover, all three are represented in human form, while the dove of the Holy Spirit introduces into the divine Trinity a zoomorphic element that is difficult to amalgamate with two anthropomorphic figures. On the other hand, this iconography was traditionally, until the Counter-Reformation, a representation of the Virgin and Child to which the figure of St. Joseph was added in the foreground. It was not until the reforms of Trent when St. Joseph began to take center stage as protector and guide of the Infant Jesus. It presents restorations.

Estim. 3 000 - 4 000 EUR

Lot 68 - Flemish school; first half of the 17th century. "The Surrender of Babylon". Oil on oak panel. Cradled. It has French varnish, faults and restorations on the pictorial surface. Measurements: 39 x 58 cm; 57 x 76 cm (frame). Carolus Magnus or Charlemagne (-Aachen, 814 AD) is the Latin name by which the Frankish king became known, when he became the first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. Charlemagne dominated most of central and western Europe and is considered the most influential European ruler of the Middle Ages. The scene depicts the moment of the conquest of Babylon. The figures that compose the scene have been conceived following the aesthetics of classicism, with a very marked humanist perspective. The harmony typical of classicism can be appreciated in the attitudes of the characters that make up the scene. This harmony is also reflected in the palette chosen by the painter. During the 17th century there were many painters who continued the style of the Flemish primitives, but others were so open to Renaissance influences that they even stopped painting on panel. In fact, in this work we can appreciate that trend of the 17th century, since, despite preserving the detail and verism of the Flemish school, the author opts for a tenebrist lighting and a classical spatial conception, typical of the Italian school. It has French varnish, faults and restorations on the pictorial surface.

Estim. 4 200 - 4 500 EUR

Lot 69 - Spanish school; 19th century. "Lamentation over the dead Christ". Oil on canvas. Signed on the back. Measurements: 29 x 39 cm; 36 x 45 cm (frame). The pearly skin of a recumbent Christ brings a certain theatricality to this devotional scene. The subject, the tonality and the composition form an image that awakens the passion of the faithful, inviting them to reflect on the last moments of Christ. In a landscape format, several figures fall on the body of Jesus, the protagonist of the scene. The figures stand out for their monumentality and volume, covering the entire surface that is veiled to the viewer. Iconographically it is a very emotive theme, fruit of popular piety, which concentrates the attention on the drama of the Passion and the loving and sorrowful contemplation, with a realistic and moving sense. In Byzantium, and in the representations of Byzantine influence, the figure of Christ rests on the slab of the anointing, where his corpse was perfumed and prepared to receive burial, which later in Italian art will become a sepulcher. This scene does not appear in the Gospels, but finds its origin in mystical literature and in religious texts of piety, as well as in those of the confraternities of flagellants. In the canonical Gospels and in the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus it is narrated how Joseph of Arimathea buried the body of Jesus.

Estim. 1 000 - 1 200 EUR

Lot 70 - Neapolitan school; XVIII century. "Holy family". Oil on canvas. It has frame of the eighteenth century. Measurements: 57 x 47,5 cm; 64 x 56 cm (frame). In this work the artist has made the representation of the Holy Family, following the modes of the time. Through the use of a pyramidal composition in which all the characters are inscribed, the author gives greater prominence to the figure of the Child. He is placed in the center of the composition next to his mother on whom he leans in a natural and everyday way. In the background, the figure of Saint Joseph observes the scene. In the most common sense of the expression, the Holy Family includes the closest relatives of the Child Jesus, that is, mother and grandmother or mother and nurturing father. In both cases, whether it is St. Anne or St. Joseph who appears, it is a group of three figures. From the artistic point of view, the arrangement of this terrestrial Trinity poses the same problems and suggests the same solutions as the heavenly Trinity. However, the difficulties are fewer. It is no longer a question of a single God in three persons whose essential unity must be expressed at the same time as diversity. The three personages are united by a blood bond, certainly, but they do not constitute an indivisible block. Moreover, the three are represented in human form, while the dove of the Holy Spirit introduces into the divine Trinity a zoomorphic element that is difficult to amalgamate with two anthropomorphic figures. On the other hand, this iconography was traditionally, until the Counter-Reformation, a representation of the Virgin and Child to which the figure of St. Joseph was added in the foreground. It was not until the reforms of Trent when St. Joseph began to take center stage as protector and guide of the Infant Jesus.

Estim. 2 500 - 3 000 EUR

Lot 71 - Spanish or Italian school; XVIII century. "Allegory of drunkenness". Oil on canvas. Relined. Measurements: 50 x 50 cm; 64 x 65 cm (Madrid). In this allegory to the wine three children of plump forms are represented in a state of drunkenness. The author presents us with an image very much to the taste of the time, a bacchic theme. The mythological representation in a revitalized genre, since it was the expression that represented a more intellectual and sophisticated lifestyle, at a time when the newly enriched bourgeoisie was beginning to acquire more aristocratic pretensions. These types of paintings were used to exalt qualities or represent a particular status. The children in the scene seem to be characters from a Bacchic cult. Known as Bacchus in Roman times, he was the god associated with the grape harvest and wine, patron of the theater, and very often represented in solo art, in mythological themes or in the so-called "Bacchanals", where he sometimes did not even appear.

Estim. 1 800 - 2 000 EUR

Lot 72 - Spanish school; XVII century. "Virgin and Child". Oil on canvas. It presents faults in the pictorial surface. Measurements: 67 x 53 cm. In the present work the painter, belonging to the Spanish school, offers us a scene of very long tradition in the Christian West, the Virgin Mary seated, embracing and holding Jesus Child in her lap. The artist concentrates exclusively on the two figures that, although absorbed in the daily routine of children's play, present this divine union. Virgin and Child are placed in profile with respect to the viewer, the artist manages, especially, to convey the naturalness of the gesture of the child, who leans on his mother and looks at a point outside the painting. Since the end of the Middle Ages, artists have insisted on representing, in an increasingly intense way, the bond of affection that united Christ with his Mother and the close relationship between them; this was encouraged in the Renaissance and, naturally, in the Baroque period, when the exacerbation of emotions characterizes a large part of artistic production. Throughout the history of art, it is common for many works to be executed by disciples, copying the original model of the master under his supervision. In this way, it was usual that when the work had already taken shape, it was intervened by the master, who would retouch the important areas or correct the mistakes of the pupils. The hands of the Virgin under the arm of Jesus, the eyes, or certain incarnations reveal a clear virtuosity. It presents faults in the pictorial surface.

Estim. 1 500 - 1 900 EUR

Lot 73 - Spanish school; late sixteenth century. "The angel St. Gabriel before Zechariah". Oil on panel. Cradled. It presents restorations in the pictorial surface. Measurements: 72 x 43 cm. The passage of this scene is narrated in (Lk 1, 8-13). "Zechariah was a priest who lived when Herod the Great was king of the Jews. He served in the temple with the group of Abijah the priest. His wife's name was Elizabeth and she was a descendant of Aaron the priest. Elizabeth and Zechariah were very good and obeyed all of God's commandments. They had no children, for Elizabeth had not been able to become pregnant, and besides, they were both very old. One day, it was the turn of Zechariah's group of priests to serve God in the temple. The priests used to appoint one of the group to go into the temple of God and burn incense on the altar. This time it was Zechariah's turn to go in and burn the incense, while the people stood outside praying. Suddenly, an angel of God appeared to Zechariah on the right side of the altar. When Zechariah saw the angel, he was very afraid and did not know what to do. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayers. Your wife Elizabeth will have a son, and you will name him John. 14 His birth will make you very happy, and many will also rejoice. 15 Your son will be very important before God. He will not drink wine or beer, and the Holy Spirit will be with him before he is born. This child will cause many in Israel to stop doing evil and obey God. He will come before the Messiah, and he will have the same power and spirit that the prophet Elijah had before him. His message will cause parents to reconcile with their children, and the disobedient to understand their error and follow the example of those who obey. It will also prepare the people of Israel to receive the Messiah. Zechariah said to the angel, "My wife and I are very old; how will I know that everything will happen as you say? The angel replied, "I am Gabriel, God's special helper. He sent me to tell you this good news. But since you did not believe me, you will not be able to speak until what I told you happens. All the people stood outside, waiting for Zechariah, and wondered why he did not come out of the temple. When Zechariah came out, he could not speak and only waved his hands. Then the people understood that Zechariah had had a vision. At the end of his shift at the temple, Zechariah returned home. Shortly afterward, his wife became pregnant; and for five months he did not leave the house, for he thought, "God has done this with me so that people will no longer despise me!" It presents restorations in the pictorial surface.

Estim. 3 800 - 4 000 EUR

Lot 74 - Attributed to JOSÉ GUTIÉRREZ DE LA VEGA (Seville, 1791 - Madrid, 1865). "Portrait of a Child. Oil on panel. It has a frame of the nineteenth century. Measurements: 25 x 17 cm; 33 x 24 cm (frame). The vaporous finish of the portrait, added to the chromatic range used by the artist, brings us aesthetically close to the pictorial circle of the painter José Gutiérrez De La Vega. One of the great portraitists of the Romantic period, and a fervent follower of Murillo, José Gutiérrez de la Vega trained between 1802 and 1807 at the Academy of Fine Arts of Santa Isabel de Hungría, in Seville. He began to paint portraits in 1816, being in his first works already evident the vaporous tones and flesh tones typically Murillo, as some commentator says, begin to give him a reputation. Between 1818 and 1820 he stopped attending the Academy and dedicated himself to making copies of Murillo, daring with the most complicated canvases of the master, from whose sale he lived. However, he re-enrolled in 1821, perhaps thinking of devoting himself to teaching. Indeed, in 1925 he was appointed assistant painter. However, a few years later, in 1831, he decided to go to Madrid to try his luck at court. He was an academician of merit of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, although he never achieved the position of chamber painter, since it was only possible to access it when there were vacancies. After the creation of the Liceo Artístico y Literario de Madrid, Gutiérrez de la Vega became one of its most active members. He was also appointed director of the School of Fine Arts in Seville, a position he held from 1839 to 1847 when, due to his prolonged stays in Madrid, he had to leave. Later he was appointed professor of the elementary studies attached to the Royal Academy of San Fernando. Gutiérrez de la Vega lived mainly from portraiture, painting the effigies of prominent figures such as Isabel II (as an adult and as a child), the Marquis of Almonacid, the English traveler Richard Ford or Maria Cristina, widow of Ferdinand VII. However, his passion for Murillo's work led him to focus also on religious painting, a production in which his Inmaculadas stand out. Apart from portraiture and religious themes, this artist occasionally cultivated genre painting. Gutiérrez de la Vega is currently represented in the Prado Museum, the Royal Academy of San Fernando, the Ministries of Development and Industry in Madrid, the Provincial Museum of Fine Arts in Malaga and the Romantic Museum in Madrid, among others.

Estim. 800 - 900 EUR

Lot 75 - Spanish school; late sixteenth century. "The decapitation of St. John". Oil on cradled panel. It presents restorations in the pictorial surface. Measurements: 72 x 44 cm. In this oil painting the decapitation of John the Baptist is represented, with the executioner depositing the head of the saint on the tray, where the figure of the princess Salome, dressed in an opulent dress, picks it up. In the foreground, on the right, the body of the saint is shown in all its rawness, with the wound clearly visible. The saint's anatomy also stands out for its contorted position, in a forced foreshortening of great expressive power, which reveals the painter's baroque training. The warm and golden colors, difficult to define, are also baroque elements. The scene is set in an interior of classical architecture but gloomy, opened in the background by a small opening. According to tradition, Salome, a woman of great beauty, danced for her stepfather, and he enthusiastically offered to grant her the prize she wished. Then the young woman asked, following her mother's instructions, for the Baptist's head, which was given to her "on a silver platter". This biblical story has often been depicted in painting, as it offers the possibility of depicting exotic settings and half-naked women without abandoning the biblical repertoire, although it is not about this particular work. Salome was a princess, daughter of Herod Philip and Herodias, and stepdaughter of Herod Antipas, related to the death of St. John the Baptist in a story told in the New Testament (Matthew and Mark). It presents restorations in the pictorial surface.

Estim. 4 000 - 5 000 EUR

Lot 76 - Gothic cross; Spain, 13th-14th centuries. Sandstone. Measurements: 77 x 83 x 30 cm. This type of crosses are known as "Crosses of term", and they used to be placed at the entrance and exit of the cities and towns, so that the traveler could pray or give thanks when returning from his way. However, their popularity since the end of the Gothic period was such that they ended up being placed on roads to mark them, as points to delimit municipal or private boundaries, to suggest a prayer to travelers, etc. The piece has great similarities with the Cruz de Termino that is part of the Albacete City Hall collection (DE00282), although in this case it is larger. In both cases the ends are decorated with fleurons of leaves. The angles have flamboyant tracery.

Estim. 3 000 - 3 500 EUR

Lot 77 - Flemish or German school; early seventeenth century. "Immaculate Conception". Oil on oak panel. It presents faults and restorations. Measurements: 57,5 x 43 cm. Devotional scene where the baroque heritage is maintained in a dynamic composition with characters in movement, fully developing the action which is reflected in the treatment of their clothes. Since it is a scene already of advanced date within the baroque, we see that the space is unitary, dominating the celestial plane throughout the composition. Representation of Mary as Immaculate with the figure full-length, standing on a crescent of the moon and inscribed in a mandorla with angels on its outer perimeter and a large crown in the center. Medieval Christianity passionately debated the belief that Mary had been conceived without stain of original sin. Some universities and corporations vowed to defend this privilege of the Mother of God, several centuries before the First Vatican Council defined the dogma of faith in 1854. At the end of the Middle Ages the need to give iconographic form to this idea was born, and the model of the Apocalyptic Woman of St. John was taken, maintaining some elements and modifying others (the Apocalyptic Woman is pregnant, but not the Immaculate). The definitive image came to fruition in the 16th century, apparently in Spain. It presents faults and restorations.

Estim. 2 800 - 3 000 EUR

Lot 78 - Flemish school, following models of PETER PAUL RUBENS (Siegen, Germany, 1577 - Antwerp, Belgium, 1640); 19th century. "Ecstasy of St. Gregory". Oil on canvas. It presents restorations on the pictorial surface. Measurements: 100 x 60 cm. Scene that follows the model created by Peter Paul Rubens. The original work is in the Museum of Grenoble. It is a masterpiece of Rubens' Italian period, painted during his stay in Rome (1600-1608). In 1606, Rubens was commissioned to paint this picture for the high altar of the church of Santa Maria in Vallicella in Rome, known as the Chiesa Nuova. At the time, it was the busiest church in the capital, and contained a miraculous fresco depicting the Madonna of Vallicella. The presence of St. Gregory, Pope from 590 to 604, accompanied by the dove of the Holy Spirit, with his eyes turned towards the Madonna, is a tribute to Pope Gregory XIII (1502-1585), who granted the newly reformed church to the Oratorian order. Peter Paul Rubens was a painter of the Flemish school who, however, competed on equal terms with contemporary Italian artists, and enjoyed a very important international importance, since his influence was also key in other schools, as is the case of the transition to full baroque in Spain. Although born in Westphalia, Rubens grew up in Antwerp, where his family originated. After his training, Rubens joined the Antwerp painters' guild in 1598. Only two years later he made a trip to Italy, where he stayed between 1600 and 1608. During these decisive dates, the young Flemish master was able to learn first-hand about naturalism and classicism, the works of Caravaggio and the Carracci. It presents restorations on the pictorial surface.

Estim. 1 500 - 1 800 EUR

Lot 79 - Flemish school; 17th century. "Portrait of Peter Paul Rubens". Oil on canvas. Relined. Measurements: 42 x 35 cm. Peter Paul Rubens was a painter of the Flemish school that, however, competed on equal terms with contemporary Italian artists, and enjoyed a very important international importance, since its influence was also key in other schools, as is the case of the passage to the full baroque in Spain. Although born in Westphalia, Rubens grew up in Antwerp, where his family originated. After his training, Rubens joined the painters' guild in Antwerp in 1598. Only two years later he made a trip to Italy, where he stayed from 1600 to 1608. During these decisive dates, the young Flemish master was able to learn first-hand about naturalism and classicism, the works of Caravaggio and the Carracci. During his visit to Mantua he will be impressed by Mantegna, mainly by his "Triumphs of Caesar", which will influence his later "Triumph of the Eucharist", where we see the same classical theatrical sense of Mantegna. Also in Mantua he will know first hand the giants of Giulio Romano's Tea Palace. He visited Rome on several occasions, and also studied the art of Classical Antiquity, which will influence his first style, sculptural and monumental, which will evolve over time towards a more pictorial language. In the Italian capital Rubens also became acquainted with Italian Renaissance painting, the works of Michelangelo, Raphael and Leonardo. In his journey through Italy he will also pass through Florence and Parma, the latter city where he will come into contact with the work of Correggio. In Venice he learned the sense of ostentation of Veronese and the dramatism of Tintoretto, and in 1609 he returned to the Netherlands, in the service of the governors of Flanders, Archduke Albert and the Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia. In addition to being a chamber painter, Rubens will exercise for the court diplomatic tasks that will take him to visit Spain, London and Paris. In 1609 he married Isabel Brant in Antwerp and organized his workshop, hiring excellent collaborators, with whom he worked side by side, many of them being specialist painters (Frans Snyders, Jan Brueghel de Velours...). He also took on disciples and created an excellent workshop of engravers, who worked from drawings in his own hand, and under his supervision. During these years he carried out important commissions such as "The Elevation of the Cross" (1610) or "The Descent from the Cross" (1611-14), both for the Cathedral of Antwerp. Rubens is already by then the leading painter in Flanders, and in his workshop are formed outstanding masters such as Anton van Dyck or Jacob Jordaens. Today works by Rubens are preserved in the most important collections around the world, including the Prado Museum, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, the Louvre in Paris, the Mauritshuis Gallery in The Hague, the Metropolitan in New York, the National Gallery in London and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

Estim. 1 500 - 1 800 EUR

Lot 80 - Spanish School; XVIII century. "St. Francis receiving the stigmata". Polychrome clay. It has slight flaws. Measurements: 14 x 11 x 7 cm. Saint Francis (Assisi, Italy, 1182 - 1226) was the son of a wealthy Italian merchant. Baptized as John, soon he was known as "Francesco" (the little Frenchman), because his mother came from that country. His youth was joyful and carefree until the age of twenty-five, when he changed completely and began to dedicate himself to the service of God, practicing the Gospel ideal: purity, detachment and joy in peace. Francesco renounces the great inheritance received from his parents and decides to live poorly, giving an example of authentic Christianity. He soon had several young disciples, called by the saint "order of the Friars Minor". In 1210, Pope Innocent III granted them the foundation of the new order and encouraged them in their evangelical tasks. During a retreat on the mountain, Christ appeared to him, and legend has it that from his wounds came rays that caused Francis various stigmata. He was a legendary character during his lifetime, considered a living relic. Likewise, his exquisite poetry and his familiarity with nature add the most human accent known in a saint, as can be appreciated in his "Canticle to the Sun". It presents minor faults.

Estim. 400 - 500 EUR

Lot 81 - Spanish school; XVII century. "Calvary". Oil on canvas. Relined. Presents faults and Punctures. It has a frame of the nineteenth century. Measurements: 129 x 169 cm; 151 x 194 cm (frame). In this work that would be part of a representative group of the Way of the Cross, is represented the elevation of the cross in complete darkness, torn only by the banners that are part of the image, in which a scene of great drama is developed. Christ, already nailed to the cross, is lifted up by several men, who try to hoist the structure. Darkness hovers over the body of Christ, which stands out for the elongation of his anatomy, and the languor of the same, leaning on the wood of the cross, dejected and surviving the last breath of his mortal life, with the deathly white printed on his skin. The scene is completed with a group of characters, located in the lower area, which are part of the Roman SPQR (The Senate and the Roman People), headed by an equestrian figure, laureate, carrying a large banner, and seems to direct the condemnation of Christ. All these characters are arranged in a composition, elliptical, concave, which invites the viewer to be part of the scene. In addition, the figure of Christ is displaced from the center, thus attracting the observer to the center, which is illuminated by a warm light, of tenebrist heritage. This emptiness allows to rationalize and order the scene, whose characters stand out for the movement, the foreshortening, and the diagonal lines that follow with the position of their bodies. On the left side of the composition, the three Marys are comforted by little angels, who bring a certain tenderness to the great drama of the scene. Spanish Baroque painting is one of the most authentic and personal examples of our art, because its conception and its form of expression arose from the people and the deepest feelings that nested in it. With the economy of the State broken, the nobility in decline and the high clergy burdened with heavy taxes, it was the monasteries, the parishes and the confraternities of clerics and laymen who promoted its development, and the works were sometimes financed by popular subscription. Painting was thus forced to capture the prevailing ideals in these environments, which were none other than religious ones, at a time when the Counter-Reformation doctrine demanded from art a realistic language so that the faithful would understand and identify with what was represented, and an expression endowed with an intense emotional content to increase the fervor and devotion of the people. The religious subject is, therefore, the preferred theme of Spanish sculpture of this period, which in the first decades of the century began with a priority interest in capturing the natural, to progressively intensify throughout the century the expression of expressive values. It presents faults and Punctures.

Estim. 3 500 - 4 000 EUR

Lot 82 - Italian school; XVII century. "Monstrance". Carved and polychrome wood. Measurements: 53 x 32 x 4 cm. Monstrance made of carved and polychromed wood, typically baroque in its carved decoration based on scrolls and braces, as well as in the curvilinear profile for the base and a complex group of little angels holding a large curtain, following the theatricalization typical of the baroque. The realization of this type of religious objects, conceived to house the relics of the saints, was common since the Gothic period, highlighting the crosses, as well as the so-called "testas", which, in the documentation contemporary to their realization, were very popular. They were used to contain relics. In spite of the fact that many of them adopted very diverse forms, all of them had the same devotional purpose, which sometimes went beyond fanaticism. It should be remembered, however, that at that time, practically any element that had been in contact with the saint or his mortal remains (cloths, burial soil, etc.) was considered a sacred relic. This triggered a whole market for such objects. The best examples were made of precious metals, but specimens such as the present one were also highly valued, both for the container and, above all, for the content.

Estim. 2 700 - 3 000 EUR

Lot 83 - Spanish school; XVIII century. "Immaculate Conception". Polychrome carved wood. Presents restorations. Measurements: 66 x 29 x 13 cm. Sculpture carved in round bulk, full body, representing the Virgin Mary in her invocation as the Immaculate Conception. Although devoid, in this case, of the pedestal with half moon if you can see the orb with the snake that also characterize its iconography. The Virgin appears dressed with tunic and mantle, folding both with volumetric draperies that provide an expressive aspect to the figure. It is an image anchored in baroque aesthetics. The face, tends to idealization, fine lips and almond-shaped eyes are gently inscribed in an oval of rounded features. The long hair falls over the shoulders. Given the importance given to religious images in the Hispanic world, during the 17th century ambitious pictorial series and extensive iconographic programs were created for churches and convents, as well as printed prints, medals and reliquaries for private devotion. As a whole, regardless of their size or support, these images fulfilled the objective of sacralizing daily life beyond the altars. The Granada school stood out during this period, receiving and developing the stylistic patterns of the Baroque. It presents restorations.

Estim. 1 200 - 1 400 EUR

Lot 84 - Guatemalan school; second half of the 18th century. "St. John before the Cross". Carved and polychrome wood. It has vitreous paste eyes. Presents faults. Measurements: 40 x 16 x 11 cm. The position of this carving in which St. John is represented indicates that it was originally part of a larger group in which the Calvary was represented. For this reason St. John directs his face and gaze upwards, as he would be looking at the cross. Aesthetically the piece stands out for the delicate polychrome, which gives great expressiveness to the figure. It is worth mentioning that, during the Spanish colonial domination, a mainly religious sculpture was developed, destined to Christianize the indigenous peoples. The local artists were modeled on Spanish works, which they followed literally in terms of types and iconography. The most frequent models were the harquebusier angels and the triangular virgins, however, in the early years of the 19th century, already in times of independence and political opening of some of the colonies, several artists began to represent a new model of painting with its own identity. Presents faults.

Estim. 1 000 - 1 200 EUR

Lot 85 - Spanish school; XVI century. "Saint". Carved and polychrome wood. It presents faults and damages caused by xylophages. Measurements: 64 x 34 x 5 cm. Relief carving showing a saint, indicating that it was probably part of a larger sculptural group. Spain is, at the beginning of the 16th century, the European nation best prepared to receive the new humanist concepts of life and art due to its spiritual, political and economic conditions, although from the point of view of the plastic forms, its adaptation of those implanted by Italy was slower due to the need to learn the new techniques and to change the taste of the clientele. Sculpture reflects perhaps better than other artistic fields this eagerness to return to the classical Greco-Roman world that exalts in its nudes the individuality of man, creating a new style whose vitality surpasses the mere copy. Soon the anatomy, the movement of the figures, the compositions with a sense of perspective and balance, the naturalistic play of the folds, the classical attitudes of the figures began to be valued; but the strong Gothic tradition maintains the expressiveness as a vehicle of the deep spiritualistic sense that informs our best Renaissance sculptures. This strong and healthy tradition favors the continuity of religious sculpture in polychrome wood that accepts the formal beauty offered by Italian Renaissance art with a sense of balance that avoids its predominance over the immaterial content that animates the forms. In the first years of the century, Italian works arrived in our lands and some of our sculptors went to Italy, where they learned first hand the new norms in the most progressive centers of Italian art, whether in Florence or Rome, and even in Naples. On their return, the best of them, such as Berruguete, Diego de Siloe and Ordóñez, revolutionized Spanish sculpture through Castilian sculpture, even advancing the new mannerist, intellectualized and abstract derivation of the Italian Cinquecento, almost at the same time as it was produced in Italy. It presents faults and damages caused by xylophagous.

Estim. 1 000 - 1 200 EUR

Lot 86 - Spanish school; XVI century. "Saint". Carved and polychrome wood. It presents faults and damages caused by xylophages. Measurements: 64 x 34 x 5 cm. Relief carving showing a saint, indicating that it was probably part of a larger sculptural group. Spain is, at the beginning of the 16th century, the European nation best prepared to receive the new humanist concepts of life and art due to its spiritual, political and economic conditions, although from the point of view of the plastic forms, its adaptation of those implanted by Italy was slower due to the need to learn the new techniques and to change the taste of the clientele. Sculpture reflects perhaps better than other artistic fields this eagerness to return to the classical Greco-Roman world that exalts in its nudes the individuality of man, creating a new style whose vitality surpasses the mere copy. Soon the anatomy, the movement of the figures, the compositions with a sense of perspective and balance, the naturalistic play of the folds, the classical attitudes of the figures began to be valued; but the strong Gothic tradition maintains the expressiveness as a vehicle of the deep spiritualistic sense that informs our best Renaissance sculptures. This strong and healthy tradition favors the continuity of religious sculpture in polychrome wood that accepts the formal beauty offered by Italian Renaissance art with a sense of balance that avoids its predominance over the immaterial content that animates the forms. In the first years of the century, Italian works arrived in our lands and some of our sculptors went to Italy, where they learned first hand the new norms in the most progressive centers of Italian art, whether in Florence or Rome, and even in Naples. On their return, the best of them, such as Berruguete, Diego de Siloe and Ordóñez, revolutionized Spanish sculpture through Castilian sculpture, even advancing the new mannerist, intellectualized and abstract derivation of the Italian Cinquecento, almost at the same time as it was produced in Italy. It presents faults and damages caused by xylophagous.

Estim. 1 000 - 1 200 EUR

Lot 87 - Italian school; XVI century. "Christ carrying the cross". Oil on panel. It presents faults and restorations. Measurements: 65 x 43 cm. Model of Sebastiano Piombo. The concentration that shows the face of Christ, with the fallen eyelids and the half-open mouth, exalt the devotion of the faithful, that before the sobriety of the scene contemplates the last moments of the life of Jesus. The author only reflects the bust of the protagonist and part of the cross, although not only in its entirety, reducing the elements to a minimum to create an image of contained emotion. This restraint can also be seen in the technical treatment of the anatomy, where the hands and the arm that can be seen under the tunic show the tension of the veins, charged with the strength of carrying the cross. This artistic skill is also reflected in small details such as the drops of blood caused by the crown of thorns, which do not fall in a dramatic way on the face, and the transparent tears that moisten the cheeks of the protagonist. In this canvas the author depicts one of the most dramatic moments of the Stations of the Cross, the moment in which Christ bears the weight of the cross. In this episode it is common to see Simon the Cyrenian helping Jesus to carry the cross, or Veronica offering him a cloth to wipe his face of blood and sweat. However, the author of this canvas dispenses with these characters and seeks no theological meaning other than that of Christ's own suffering and voluntary sacrifice on behalf of humanity. In fact, this supreme generosity is reinforced by Jesus' own gaze, which avoids ours, turning to the side, towards something we do not see because it is outside the painting. Baroque painting is one of the most authentic and personal examples of our art, because its conception and its form of expression arose from the people and the deepest feelings that nestled in it. With the economy of the State broken, the nobility in decline and the high clergy burdened with heavy taxes, it was the monasteries, the parishes and the confraternities of clerics and laymen who promoted its development, and the works were sometimes financed by popular subscription. Painting was thus forced to capture the prevailing ideals in these environments, which were none other than religious ones, at a time when the Counter-Reformation doctrine demanded from art a realistic language so that the faithful would understand and identify with what was represented, and an expression endowed with an intense emotional content to increase the fervor and devotion of the people. The religious subject is, therefore, the most recurrent theme. It presents faults and restorations.

Estim. 3 000 - 3 500 EUR

Lot 88 - School of BARTOLOME ESTEBAN MURILLO (Seville, 1617 - 1682). "Christ". Oil on canvas. Relined. Presents restorations. Measurements: 39 x 31 cm. We see in this work a devotional image of great iconographic simplicity, which shows the face of Christ as a portrait. However, here it is not a portrait of the husband or a relative, but a representation of Jesus bust-length, dressed in a purple tunic adorned with the crucifix nimbus and showing a serene face, with a kind expression. Little is known about Murillo's childhood and youth, except that he lost his father in 1627 and his mother in 1628, which is why he was taken under the tutelage of his brother-in-law. Around 1635 he must have begun his apprenticeship as a painter, very possibly with Juan del Castillo, who was married to a cousin of his. This working and artistic relationship would last about six years, as was customary at the time. After his marriage, in 1645, he began what was to be a brilliant career that progressively made him the most famous and sought-after painter in Seville. The only recorded trip he made is documented in 1658, the year in which Murillo was in Madrid for several months. It may be thought that at the court he maintained contact with the painters who resided there, such as Velázquez, Zurbarán and Cano, and that he had access to the collection of paintings in the Royal Palace, a magnificent subject of study for all those artists who passed through the court. Despite the few documentary references regarding his mature years, we know that he enjoyed a comfortable life, which allowed him to maintain a high standard of living and several apprentices. Having become the first painter of the city, surpassing in fame even Zurbarán, moved his will to raise the artistic level of local painting. For this reason, in 1660 he decided, together with Francisco Herrera el Mozo, to found an academy of painting, of which he was the main promoter. His fame spread to such an extent, throughout the national territory, that Palomino indicates that around 1670 King Carlos II offered him the possibility of moving to Madrid to work there as a court painter. We do not know if this reference is true, but the fact is that Murillo remained in Seville until the end of his life. His works are currently preserved in the most important art galleries in the world, such as the Prado Museum, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, the Kunsthistorisches in Vienna, the Louvre in Paris, the Metropolitan in New York or the National Gallery in London, among many others. It presents restorations.

Estim. 1 800 - 2 000 EUR

Lot 89 - Italian school; XVIII century. "Saint Cecilia". Oil on copper. Measurements: 40 x 30 cm; 47 x 37 cm (frame). In this image of religious character, since its protagonist is Santa Cecilia, accompanied by several angels, the artist manages to move the viewer beyond the sacred content, providing an image of sensory character. The scene invites to reflect allegorically, since the artist proposes in the same scene different actions that allude directly to the senses, such as sight and smell, represented by the vegetation, and hearing through the action of the saint. This interest in this representation is very reminiscent of the works of the five senses by the painter Rubens and Brueghel, which today are in the Prado Museum and which, as in this particular case, show a composition that stands out for the abundance and precise detail of all the elements that make up the scene. Saint Cecilia, the most popular of the Roman martyrs together with Saint Agnes. A young patrician of the Caecilian family, she was forced by her parents to marry, although in the bridal chamber she converted her husband to the ideal of Christian chastity. The young husband had himself and his brother baptized, and both were condemned to death. Because Cecilia refused to offer sacrifices to the gods, she was condemned to die by drowning in the steam of an overheated cauldron, but a heavenly dew refreshed her. She was then ordered to be beheaded, but her executioner struck her three blows without succeeding in separating her head from her body. Since Roman law forbade further beating of the condemned after these three attempts, Cecilia survived for three days. She died in the presence of Pope Urban and was buried in the cemetery of Callixtus. Saint Cecilia is, since the 15th century, the patron saint of musicians, singers and organists, as well as of organ and string instrument makers. Originally St. Cecilia, like most of the martyrs, did not wear any identifying attribute. It was at the end of the 15th century, when she became the patron saint of musicians, that she received a musical instrument as an attribute, a portable or fixed organ.

Estim. 1 400 - 1 600 EUR

Lot 90 - Valencian School; late seventeenth century. "Still life". Oil on canvas. Relined. Presents restorations. Measurements: 29,5 x 44 cm. Formally in this work highlights the delicate treatment of the different qualities and textures: the vessel, the leaves of the branches of fruit, etc.. This type of paintings whose themes represented still lifes, were considered inferior in relation to religious or historical painting. However, Valencia had a great tradition of still life painting, which meant the interest and development of this painting throughout the different centuries in which it did not reach the popularity of periods such as the end of the 19th century or the beginning of the 20th century. The Valencian school is different from the rest of contemporary Spanish artistic centers, thanks to the fact that during most of the 15th and 16th centuries there was an important settlement of Italian and Flemish painters. Thus, throughout the history of art, Valencia has been an important focus of Spanish art, along with other schools such as Andalusia and Madrid. In Valencia, the change from the seventeenth to the eighteenth century was not a break with the previous tradition, but a continuation of it. In 1768 the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Carlos was created, and this institution will determine a change towards a classicism of baroque roots. Through it, young artists were trained by José Vergara, Manuel Monfort, José Camarón, Vicente Marzo, Vicente López and Mariano Salvador Maella. On the other hand, the economic recovery will result in a thriving industrial and commercial bourgeoisie, which will seek to distinguish itself socially through artistic patronage. At the same time, the Church was losing its monopoly as the only client of the artists. All this will determine a definitive change in taste, and also in the genres treated: religious painting will now coexist with bourgeois portraiture, still life, landscape, historical and mythological themes and genre painting. It presents restorations.

Estim. 2 000 - 2 500 EUR

Lot 91 - French school; second half of the XIX century. "Lady". Oil on canvas. Relined. It has a frame of the nineteenth century. Measurements: 37 x 23 cm; 41 x 27 cm (frame). In this work stakes the volumetric work of the bodies, modeled by light and color, as well as the sensual plasticity of qualities and atmospheres. The piece follows the models of academicism is a direct inheritance of classicism, and hence the predilection for themes such as the one presented here, taken from mythology, although captured from a sensual and decorative point of view away from the solemnity of ancient classical art. Hence also the way of approaching the subject, recreating the figures from an opulent and sensual perspective. However, we can appreciate an ideal of beauty that is not based on reality, although the painter's study of nature is undeniable, but rather an idealism based on reality due to his sum of experience, that is, an aesthetic sublimation that reflects a beauty that transcends reality.

Estim. 1 200 - 1 500 EUR

Lot 92 - Italian school; 17th century. "Adoration of the Magi". Oil on canvas. Relined. Preserves period frame with faults and restorations. Measurements: 52 x 84 cm; 70 x 102 cm (frame). In this oil on canvas is represented, in a popular language, the visit of the Magi to the newborn Baby Jesus. The composition presents all the characters in the foreground, within a classical setting. The painter focuses our attention on the figures of Mary and Jesus, directly illuminated by a light that seems to be reflected on the face of the king kneeling before the Child. Behind them, shrouded in half-light, we see the secondary characters. In the present painting the characters appear, cut out against a neutral background that enhances their volumes. Stylistically, the direct influence of tenebrism dominates: the way in which a powerful light builds the volumes and cuts out the gestures, staging the moment of Christ's birth. The bodies are modeled with an energetic brushstroke, selectively illuminated, a resource that undoubtedly contributes to accentuate the devotional and emotional message contained in the work.

Estim. 1 500 - 2 000 EUR

Lot 93 - Italian school; XVII century. "The Mares of Diodenes". Oil on canvas. Relined. Measurements: 58 x 107 cm; 70 x 120 cm (frame). In this Italian painting of baroque period and of dynamic composition appears represented the subject of the victory of Hercules over Diomedes. It narrates an episode of the labors of Hercules that has been treated on numerous occasions in paintings and sculptures of different periods. We refer to the eighth of the twelve labors of the hero, which consisted of capturing the four mares of Diomedes, who ate human flesh. Their owner kept them tied with chains and fed them with the flesh of their innocent guests. Hercules managed to snatch them from Diomedes, who went to meet them with his army, but the latter defeated him and threw the body, still alive, to the mares. After devouring the corpse, the mares became so tame that Heracles was able to tie them to Diomedes' chariot and took them to Mycenae, where they were given to Hera. Formally, this work is dominated by the influence of the Roman-Bolognese classicism of the Carracci and their followers, one of the two great currents of the Italian Baroque, together with Caravaggio's naturalism. Thus, the figures are monumental, with idealized faces and serene and balanced gestures, in an idealized representation based on classical canons. Also the rhetoric of the gestures, theatrical and eloquent, clearly baroque, is typical of the Italian classicism of the XVII century. It is also worth mentioning the importance of the chromatic aspect, very thoughtful, intoned and balanced, centered on basic ranges around red, ochre and blue. Also the way of composing the scene, with a circular rhythm and closed on one side while opening to the landscape on the other, is typical of this school of baroque classicism.

Estim. 2 000 - 2 500 EUR

Lot 94 - Italian school; late seventeenth century. "Infant Jesus carrying the Cross". Oil on copper. Presents restorations. Measurements: 21 x 15 cm. In this painting Jesus is represented as an innocent child, carrying the instruments of his future martyrdom. The naked Child lying on a blue cloth that represents the universality of the Christian message, seems to reflect on his own destiny with a lost and reflective look. Inscribed in an idyllic landscape, the monumentality of the young Jesus makes him the protagonist of this devotional scene. Christian art took delight throughout its history, and especially in the Modern Age, in projecting the innocent childhood of Jesus next to the representation of the cross. The contrast between the happy unconcern of a child and the horror of the sacrifice to which he was predestined was designed to move hearts. This idea was already familiar to the theologians of the Middle Ages, but the artists of the time expressed it discreetly, either through the worried expression of the Virgin, or through the bunch of grapes that the Child squeezes in his hands. It will be especially in the art of the Counter-Reformation where this funeral presentiment of the Passion is expressed by means of transparent allusions. Thematically highlighting the work of Zurbarán showing the Child Jesus pricking himself with his finger while braiding a crown of thorns. Murillo, the little St. John the Baptist showing him his cross of reeds. Finally, the theme finds its most poignant expression in the theme of the Infant Jesus Sleeping on a cross. Here Jesus is not presented as a baby but as a somewhat older child, fully aware of his destiny, and in fact carrying it voluntarily, as a burden he accepts on behalf of humanity. It presents restorations.

Estim. 2 200 - 2 500 EUR

Lot 95 - Italian school; XVIII century. "Madonna with Child and St. John". Oil on canvas. Relined. Measurements: 67 x 51 cm; 75 x 59 cm (frame). Devotional scene that presents the Virgin and Child, accompanied by San Juanito. In the scene the three personages follow a classic pyramidal composition with San Juan in the inferior zone and the Virgin and the Child in the superior zone. Inscribed in a landscape of dark tonalities, the light emanating from the body of the little Christ dominates the scene, harmonizing with the iridescent finish of the Virgin's pink tunic. In the most common sense of the expression, the Holy Family includes the closest relatives of the Child Jesus, that is, mother and grandmother or mother and nurturing father. In both cases, whether it is St. Anne or St. Joseph who appears, it is a group of three figures. From the artistic point of view, the arrangement of this terrestrial Trinity poses the same problems and suggests the same solutions as the heavenly Trinity. However, the difficulties are fewer. It is no longer a question of a single God in three persons whose essential unity must be expressed at the same time as diversity. The three persons are united by a bond of blood, certainly, but they do not constitute an indivisible block.

Estim. 2 500 - 3 000 EUR

Lot 96 - Italian school; late seventeenth century. "Madonna and Child". Oil on canvas. Measurements: 27 x 23 cm. In this canvas the author represents a scene very repeated in the History of Art, especially since the Renaissance: the Virgin with the Child Jesus in her arms. It was a theme widely treated during the Renaissance and the Baroque, since it emphasized the human aspect of Christ, in the innocence and happiness of his childhood, in dramatic contrast with his destiny of sacrifice. Thus, the Savior appears represented as a child of delicate beauty and soft anatomy, protected by the maternal figure of Mary, whose face shows, in its seriousness, the knowledge of the bitter destiny of her son. Since the end of the Middle Ages, artists insisted on representing, in an increasingly intense way, the bond of affection that united Christ with his Mother and the close relationship between the two, this was encouraged in the Renaissance and, naturally, in the Baroque period, when the exacerbation of emotions characterizes much of the artistic production. The theme of the Virgin represented with the Child Jesus, and more specifically with him on her lap, seated or standing, has its origin in the Eastern religions of Antiquity, in images such as that of Isis with her son Horus, but the most direct reference is that of the Virgin as "Sedes Sapientiae", or throne of God, in medieval Christian art. Gradually, with the advance of naturalism, the Virgin will pass from being a simple "throne" of the Child to reveal a relationship of affection, beginning in the Gothic period. From then on, the figures will acquire movement, approaching each other, and finally the concept of the throne will disappear and with it the secondary role of the Virgin. In this way, the image will become an example of the love between Mary and her Son, an image of tenderness, close, designed to move the spirit of the faithful.

Estim. 2 000 - 2 500 EUR

Lot 97 - Spanish School; XVII century. "Penitent St. Jerome". Oil on canvas. Relined. Measurements: 80 x 103 cm; 92 x 114 cm (frame). An idealized landscape serves as background to the male figure located in the right zone, concentrated in his meditation. Saint Jerome shows kneeling with the crucifix in his hand, without his cardinal's tunic, usual in his iconography in the same way as the lion that can be appreciated in a second plane of the composition sketched by the artist. St. Jerome of Stridon (c. 340 - 420) is one of the four Great Fathers of the Latin Church, and was, above all, known for his translation of the Bible into Latin (called the Vulgate) and for a great number of miracles. The red cloth alludes to his cardinal's robes, he is placed in that environment alluding to his periods of penance, the stones on the ground with which he imposed hard penances on himself, the lion that accompanied him since he took the thorn out of his paw, etc. The theme of St. Jerome doing penance is already seen in works, for example, by Leonardo da Vinci (1480, Vatican Museums in Rome), Bosch (towards the end of the 15th century, Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent), Joachim Patinir (1516-1517, Museo de El Prado in Madrid), or in the work of an anonymous master made around 1520-1530 in the same museum (P08149), for example.

Estim. 2 000 - 2 500 EUR

Lot 98 - Valencian school; first half of the sixteenth century. "Crowned Virgin". Oil on pine board. It presents punctures and xylophagous damages. Measurements: 44 x 50 cm; 68 x 73 cm (frame). In this work is represented a celestial plane starring the image of Mary in the center, thus establishing itself as the axis of symmetry of the composition. It is crowned by two angels that crown the scene. The composition, strictly symmetrical without losing naturalism or a certain contained dynamism that already reveals the baroque taste. It is a piece where the conceptual predominates over naturalism, and hence the space is undefined. The lighting is also typically mannerist: a dramatic, fanciful and artificial light, which multiplies its spotlights and creates delicate nuances that model the volumes, and deep shadows that serve to highlight the central position of Mary. In addition, the author has made a careful study of postures and gestures, individualizing each character and looking for eloquence and expression. The Valencian school is different from the rest of contemporary Spanish artistic centers, thanks to the fact that during most of the 15th and 16th centuries there was an important settlement of Italian and Flemish painters. Thus, throughout the history of art, Valencia has been an important focus of Spanish art, along with other schools such as Andalusia and Madrid. In Valencia, the change from the seventeenth to the eighteenth century was not a break with the previous tradition, but a continuation of it. In 1768 the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Carlos was created, and this institution will determine a change towards a classicism of baroque roots. Through it, young artists were trained by José Vergara, Manuel Monfort, José Camarón, Vicente Marzo, Vicente López and Mariano Salvador Maella. On the other hand, the economic recovery will result in a thriving industrial and commercial bourgeoisie, which will seek to distinguish itself socially through artistic patronage. At the same time, the Church was losing its monopoly as the only client of the artists. All this will determine a definitive change in taste, and also in the genres treated: religious painting will now coexist with bourgeois portraiture, still life, landscape, historical and mythological themes and genre painting. It presents punctures and xylophagous damage.

Estim. 2 000 - 2 500 EUR

Lot 99 - Flemish school; 17th century. "Landscape". Oil on canvas. Relined. Presents restorations. Measurements: 48 x 29 cm; 59 x 39 cm (frame). Landscape scene that has a chromatic range, based on ocher tones that provide a great vitalism. The work presents several characters in the foreground, but due to the reduced dimensions of these the protagonism of the scene falls on the landscape. In the Baroque period, the representation of landscapes without resorting to the costumbrista theme was rare, since landscape painting as a genre was not fully established until the nineteenth century. In the West, landscape did not appear as a completely independent genre in art until, practically, the 17th century and thanks to Dutch painting (especially Jacob van Ruysdael). It was treated as a mere backdrop in the Middle Ages, until the Renaissance began to show interest in it. The great production of the time is striking, whose recipients were the increasingly wealthy urban bourgeoisie, an abundance of works to which goes hand in hand with the proliferation of pictorial genres. One of them was the landscape, which acquired a great development since the seventeenth century, a time until which it had not appeared as an independent theme, without needing the presence of an anecdote to exist. Like other genres that acquired great popularity during the 17th century in Flanders, landscape painting has its roots in the Dutch pictorial tradition of the 15th century. The background landscapes of the religious works of Van Eyck, de Bouts or van der Goes occupy a much more important place in them as an artistic element than that occupied by the landscape in Italian painting of the same period. As far as the representation of the narrative is concerned, the landscape of the Flemish primitives plays an essential role, not only as the natural environment of the characters but also to separate and set the various episodes of the story narrated in the work. As for the imitation of nature, the Flemish painters of the 15th century tried to represent in a plausible way in the landscapes of their religious paintings the fields and cities of their native country, detailing their flora with botanical precision and even giving an idea of the time of day and the season of the year in which the scene takes place. This special interest in the representation of the landscape increased as the 16th century progressed, when a new type of landscape for sacred scenes was developed and popularized: the panoramic view. Very soon, however, it was the representation of the landscape itself that was to receive the attention of painters and, of course, of the public. In the panoramic views of Joachim Patinir and his followers the roles are reversed: the religious subject is an excuse for the landscape. In these paintings the landscape becomes completely independent of any narrative, and this is the direction that the Flemish and Dutch painters of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries were to follow, a time when landscape painting acquired great popularity in the Netherlands and specialists in the genre began to proliferate. Gillis van Coninxloo, Paul Bril, Jan Brueghel the Elder and Joos de Momper are the most distinguished landscape painters of the transition from the sixteenth to the seventeenth century, and each of them imprinted their vision of the landscape with a very personal stamp. It presents restorations.

Estim. 2 500 - 3 000 EUR

Lot 100 - Spanish school; XVII century. "The Birth of the Virgin". Oil on canvas. Preserves original. Presents faults. Measurements: 75 x 97 cm. The birth of Mary is traditionally represented as we see here, as a genre scene set in an interior of the time. In this oil painting appears Santa Ana in the background, in the bed, resting after the childbirth, accompanied by San Joaquín that is in one of the sides of the bed. We see the newborn in the foreground occupying the center of the painting. She appears in the arms of a servant, who takes her out of the bath with the help of a second woman and several angels. Behind them we see several ladies who contemplate the scene with interest. The theme of the Nativity of Mary was frequently represented in art, as part of the cycles of the Life of the Virgin. These depictions, both medieval and later, are often valuable documents that provide information about the domestic interiors and customs of their time. The cycle of the Life of the Virgin spread during the Middle Ages, basing its iconography on the Gospels and, above all, on the apocrypha collected in the "Golden Legend" of Santiago de la Voragine. Anne and Joachim, Mary's parents, had been married for many years without conceiving children. In order for her conception to be immaculate, that is, without the lust of original sin, it took place when the spouses embraced at the Golden Gate of Jerusalem. According to the text, this is how Saint Anne became pregnant and, nine months later, gave birth to the Virgin Mary. Preserves original. Presents faults.

Estim. 1 000 - 1 200 EUR

26th June - Old Masters

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Lot 9 - Spanish school: 17th century. "Ecstasy of San Francisco". Oil on panel. Presents repaints and restorations. Measures: 65 x 51 cm; 75 x 61 cm (frame).

Lot 32 - Italian school; XVIII century. "Heavenly Court". Oil on panel. Measurements: 45 x 78 cm; 63 x 95 cm (frame).