26th June - Old Masters

Lot 101 - Italian school; late 18th century. "God appearing to Abraham". Oil on canvas. Relined. Measurements: 100 x 125 cm; 114 x 140 cm (frame). This work collects a biblical narrative from the Old Testament (Genesis 18). It talks about Sarah's pregnancy, besides dealing with themes such as God's faithfulness to fulfill his promises, the importance of hospitality and mercy. In this particular case we see the monumental figures of Abraham and God in the right zone of the composition, each of them dominating a space, the earthly and the heavenly. Behind this, several characters and animals complete the scene, thus creating a composition of narrative character that indicates the instructive function of the same. Aesthetically the work recalls to a great measurements the painting of Luca Giordano, the most outstanding Neapolitan painter of the end of the XVII century, and one of the main representatives of the last Italian Baroque.Painter and engraver, known in Spain as Lucas Jordán, Giordano enjoyed great popularity during his lifetime, both in his native Italy and in our country. However, after his death his work was often criticized for its speed of execution, opposed to the Greco-Latin aesthetics. It is believed that he was formed in the environment of Ribera, whose style he followed at first. However, he soon traveled to Rome and Venice, where he studied Veronese, whose influence has been felt ever since in his work. This trip was key to the maturation of his style, as well as the influences of other artists such as Mattia Preti, Rubens, Bernini and, above all, Pietro da Cortona. At the end of the 1670s Giordano began his great mural decorations (Montecassino and San Gregorio Armeno in Naples), which were followed from 1682 by other projects, including the mural paintings in the gallery and library of the Palazzo Medici Ricardi in Florence. In 1692 he was called to Madrid to carry out mural works in the monastery of El Escorial, where he worked from 1692 to 1694. Later he also painted the office and bedroom of Charles II in the Royal Palace of Aranjuez, and after these he undertook the paintings of the Casón del Buen Retiro (ca. 1697), the sacristy of the cathedral of Toledo (1698), the royal chapel of the Alcázar and San Antonio de los Portugueses (1699). However, royal commissions ceased with the arrival of Philip V in 1701 and the beginning of the War of Succession, so Giordano returned to Naples in 1702, although from there he continued to send paintings to Spain. Today Giordano's works are kept in the most important art galleries around the world, including the Prado Museum, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, the Louvre in Paris, the Kunsthistorisches in Vienna, the Metropolitan in New York and the National Gallery in London.

Estim. 4 500 - 5 000 EUR

Lot 102 - Italian school; XVIII century. "Portrait of Giovanni by Gio Batti. Pompeo Tommasi." Oil on canvas. Relined. Measurements: 87 x 73 cm. Outstanding male portrait, of three quarters on neutral background, representing a man of advanced age 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 starched collar enhances the haughtiness of his features, modeled with a clear light that also extracts the right textures of the coat. In the 18th 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 eighteenth century progressed and even more so in the seventeenth 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.

Estim. 1 000 - 1 200 EUR

Lot 103 - Italian school; XVIII century. "The Presentation of the Virgin". Oil on canvas. Measurements: 34 x 25 cm; 53 x 42 cm (frame). In this canvas the author represents a scene from the life of the Virgin Mary, her presentation in the Temple as a child. The narration is located in an urban scene, dominated by a staircase that plays an important role in the story, and that serves to differentiate the two planes of the composition, and at the same time to order the figures. These, starting from the foreground, establish a diagonal reading rhythm. The line starts from the head of St. Joachim in the lower left corner, goes up diagonally, passing by St. Anne, and guides our gaze to the Virgin, vividly illuminated, to finally reach the figure of Zachary, located at the top of the staircase. The canvas presents a scenographic composition, clearly counter-reformist. The scene is set in the interior of the temple, meticulously described, as befits baroque painting. It should be noted that it was during the Baroque period when the representations of the Virgin became more important and iconographically relevant because the Protestants did not believe in the figure of the Virgin.

Estim. 800 - 1 000 EUR

Lot 104 - Italian school; XVIII century. "Archdeacon Luca del Gio Pompeo del Gio Pompeo di Luca Tommasi". Oil on canvas. Relined. Presents inscription and wax seal on the back. Measurements: 92 x 73 cm. Outstanding masculine portrait, of three quarters on neutral bottom, that represents a man of advanced age and aristocratic bearing. Dressed with a coat indicates his profession as archdeacon. Resolved in realistic language, the painter delves into the psychology of the character. His angular features underline the severity of his character. The starched collar enhances the haughtiness of his features, modeled with a clear light that also brings out the right textures of the coat. In the 18th 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 eighteenth century progressed and even more so in the seventeenth 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. Inscription and wax seal on the back.

Estim. 1 000 - 1 200 EUR

Lot 105 - Hispano-Flemish school; c.1600. "Virgin and Child". Oil on pine board. Measurements: 65 x 50 cm. The Virgin, a young girl with golden hair, looks enraptured at her son who, leaning on cushions, directs his gaze towards the spectator. Her carefree and childish attitude, contrasts with the seriousness that shows the sweet face of the Virgin, who delicately touches one of the small feet of her son, while with the other hand holds a red flower. A flower that is part of a larger group of flowers, whose colors are not alien to the Christian message, thus announcing the purity represented by the white and the passion of the intense red of the petals. The author takes care of the glazes and transparencies to describe the fineness of the Marian veil that stands out for its quality and delicacy. Intense hallmarks of light modulate the faces, whose white flesh tones seem to give off a light of their own. During the 15th century, the influence of the Flemish school of painting was key in the development of European art, especially in Spain, which was linked to the Netherlands by political and economic ties. At that time, the Flemish painters established a stylistic model based on the search for reality, focusing on the representation of the qualities of objects, giving special importance to secondary details and using a smooth and draftsmanlike technique. In the 16th century, as a result of the introduction of the novelties of the Italian Renaissance, the Flemish style evolved towards a more classical and sculptural sense, while retaining its own characteristics. This change was also transferred to the Hispano-Flemish school, which also had independent channels of penetration of the Italian style.

Estim. 2 000 - 2 500 EUR

Lot 106 - Italian school; c. 1790. "Portrait of the family of the gentleman Bonnito". Oil on canvas. Presents restorations. Measurements: 100 x 76 cm; 116 x 94 cm (frame). The disposition of the characters in this painting is the usual one in the Italian portraits of the time, arranging the members of the family in the foreground, with their eyes fixed on the spectator. In fact, in a certain way it is possible to appreciate a reference to the religious representations of the Holy Family, with the Child on the Virgin's lap in the foreground and the figure of St. Joseph in the background observing the main scene. This portrait is completed by the presence of two young girls, although we do not see the face of one of them, and a small cat to whom the little boy directs his gaze, in a gesture of innocence and spontaneity that reveals the artist's interest in capturing the personality of the protagonists. In fact, this trait can also be seen in the gesture of surprise adopted by one of the young girls in the scene and the lost look of the mother who seems totally oblivious to those who accompany her. Formally, it is also worth mentioning the opulence and sumptuousness of the tones used, highlighting the different qualities of the fabrics that make up the scene and that become the true protagonists of this image. The author emphasizes the personality of the protagonists, making a psychological study of the models. The distinguished attire of the father, with a frock coat and a wide-brimmed hat, reflects his aristocratic character, as well as the posture he adopts: with an erect posture, although his figure is barely visible. It is a choral group of portraits of characters belonging to the wealthy society of the time, a rich social group that shows all its opulence in a family portrait. It presents restorations.

Estim. 8 000 - 9 000 EUR

Lot 107 - Spanish School; XVII century. "Saint Bartholomew". Oil on canvas. Relined. Presents Puncture and frame of the nineteenth century. Measurements: 95 x 70 cm; 104 x 79 cm (frame). Bartholomew was one of the apostles of Jesus, and is mentioned in the Gospels always in company of Philip. According to John, in whose Gospel he appears under the name of Nathanael, he was one of the disciples to whom Jesus appeared at the Sea of Tiberias after his resurrection. According to the Acts of the Apostles, he was also a witness to the ascension of Jesus. The tradition collected by Eusebius of Caesarea narrates that Bartholomew went to preach the Gospel in India, where he left a copy of Matthew's Gospel in Aramaic. The Armenian tradition also attributes to him the preaching of Christianity in the Caucasian country, together with St. Jude Thaddeus, so both are considered patron saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Their martyrdom and death are attributed to Astiages, king of Armenia and brother of King Polymius, whom the saint had converted to Christianity. As the priests of the pagan temples, who were running out of followers, protested to Astiages against the evangelizing work of Bartholomew, the ruler sent for him and ordered him to worship their idols, as he had done with his brother. Faced with the saint's refusal, the king ordered him to be flayed alive in his presence until he renounced God or died. The image of Saint Bartholomew has undergone few modifications throughout the history of art, being common the representation of the saint at the moment of martyrdom. Thus, he is usually represented being flayed, either on a colt or tied to a tree. He has also been depicted working miracles: resurrecting the children of King Polymius and freeing his daughter possessed by the devil. On rare occasions he appears being scourged. Sometimes he is represented with a large knife alluding to his martyrdom, according to which he was flayed alive, which is why he is the patron saint of tanners. Also in relation to his martyrdom, he is sometimes depicted skinned, showing his skin held in his arm as if it were a piece of clothing. Features 19th century Puncture and frame.

Estim. 1 200 - 1 500 EUR

Lot 108 - Spanish school; late seventeenth century. "The flagellation of Christ". Oil on canvas. Relined. It has a frame of the eighteenth century. Measurements: 52 x 76 cm; 62 x 85 cm (frame). This canvas deals with the theme of the flagellation of Christ, developing in a complex architectural space, opening at different levels. Thus, following a compositional scheme of Italian tradition, the Flemish influence can also be appreciated in the spatial concept. Christ, tied to a pedestal, is being scourged by several henchmen, whose movement has been frozen in aggressive and inclement gestures. Jesus' anatomy seems to emanate inner light, his whiteness being a transcript of the purity of his soul, in contrast to the dark flesh of the executioners. The narrative of the scene is developed on different planes, since in the looks and expressive grammar of each character we can guess their thoughts in the face of the injustice they are witnessing. As for its iconography, the four Gospels mention the punishment that Christ suffers at this moment, although they do not refer to any column: this iconography arises from the word "punishment" used by Luke, and it was known as a moment prior to the Crucifixion in the words of Josephus, for example. Throughout the Middle Ages the column venerated in Jerusalem was used for these representations, characterized by its height. There is another typology, which can be seen in this painting, which closely follows the model of the relic preserved in Santa Praxedes in Rome since 1233 and that the Council of Trent was responsible for recovering for art, characterized precisely by the marble in which it is made and for being low. This model of column, which does not deny the previous one as theologians recognize two moments in which Christ was scourged, was used in art from the late sixteenth century, coexisting with the high one, and spread throughout Europe rapidly.

Estim. 2 500 - 3 000 EUR

Lot 109 - Italian school; late seventeenth century. "Landscape." Oil on canvas. Relined. It has seventeenth-century frame with faults. Measurements: 65 x 89 cm; 75 x 99 cm (frame). Italy was the favorite place for northern European painters to paint outdoors, an incipient practice in the seventeenth century, for this reason there is some aesthetic correlation between the landscape schools, which over the decades began to establish their singularities and their own identity. In this case a golden light bathes the sky, which is filled by a large tree that brings darkness to the scene, giving shelter to a group of characters among which a white horse stands out, not for its anatomy but for its functionality as a point of illumination in the scene. This play of light turns the landscape represented into an evocative and idyllic setting, an image that was reworked in the sixteenth century, where the idea of the countryside was mythologized over the work and living conditions that the countryside offered to its inhabitants. In the Baroque period the landscape theme had not yet been institutionalized as a genre independent of religious or mythological themes. However, it is a defining period because important centers germinate in different parts of Europe, such as the Roman-Bolognese school or the Netherlands, where the landscape begins to acquire its own entity. In this canvas, the human figures (groups of shepherds) are subsumed to the great protagonist, which is the landscape: the atmospheric capture is particularly successful, with the treetops absorbing the lights of the sunset, the harmonious integration of the foliage with the architecture.

Estim. 3 000 - 3 500 EUR

Lot 110 - Spanish or Flemish school; 17th century. "The Resurrection of Lazarus". Oil on canvas. Relined. Measurements: 66 x 85 cm. In this work whose aesthetic follows the models of the master Rubens, the theme of the resurrection of Lazarus can be identified iconographically. In the Bible according to John 11: 1-44, Jesus receives a message that Lazarus is sick and his two sisters are looking for his help. Jesus tells his followers: "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for the glory of God so that the Son of God may be glorified through it. "Jesus then delays his departure for two days. The disciples are afraid to return to Judea, but Jesus says, "Our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I am going to wake him up." When the apostles do not understand, he clarifies, "Lazarus is dead, and for your sake, I am glad I was not there so that you may believe." When they arrive in Bethany, Lazarus has been dead and buried for four days. Before they enter the town, Martha, Lazarus' sister, meets Jesus and says, "If you had been here, my brother would not have died." Jesus assures Martha that her brother will rise again and says, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even if he dies; and he who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" Martha's affirmation that she really believes: "Yes, Lord. I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world," is only the second time (after Nathanael) that someone declares Jesus to be the Son of God and the first time that someone compares him as 'Messiah' and 'Son of God' together. The only other time this happens in the whole Gospel is in the explanation the author of the Gospel gives for writing his Gospel at the end. Upon entering the village, Jesus meets Mary and the people who have come to comfort her. Seeing her pain and weeping, Jesus is deeply moved. After asking where he was buried, the shortest verse of the four Gospels is found and the scriptures say, Jesus wept. After that, Jesus asks that the stone be removed from the tomb, but Martha insists that there will be a smell. To which Jesus responds, "Didn't I tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you for listening to me. I knew that you always listen to me, but I said this for the benefit of the people who are here, so that they may believe that you sent me." When he had said this, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" Then he came out, Lazarus, with his hands and feet wrapped in strips of linen and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off your bandages and let him go.".

Estim. 1 500 - 1 600 EUR

Lot 111 - Flemish school; second third of the seventeenth century. "Prayer in the Garden". Oil on copper. It has a Dutch style frame of the period. Measurements: 57 x 75 cm; 77 x 98 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. The Flemish school was characterized by the great influence of the Flemish primitives, which survived for a long time, largely due to the political and cultural ties between the two countries. Flemish painting was, in the 15th century, the most advanced in Europe, and influenced all national schools, including Italian. It was considered an art of enormous refinement, with works executed and treated as jewels. This consideration was also due to the very rich materials used in its execution, as well as the assemblies of the tables, which, as we see here, were of great richness. The features of the Flemish school are close to those of Flemish painting, starting with the maximum concern of the painters of Flanders, the search for reality above all else. In connection with this desire, enormous attention is paid to the qualities of the objects, as well as to the smallest details, often endowed with a symbolic charge. The iconography continues to be mainly religious, and in the scenes a correct and precise, very meticulous drawing will predominate. In the same way, they try to capture the truest possible illumination, whether artificial or natural, always modeling the flesh tones and producing chiaroscuro to a greater or lesser degree.

Estim. 2 500 - 3 000 EUR

Lot 112 - Spanish or Italian school; c. 1700. "The visitation". Oil on copper. Presents restorations. Measurements: 68,5 x 90,5 cm. Two feminine figures embrace each other in the foreground, starring this devotional scene. To the right of the composition, another woman is arranged in the frame of a door, while to the left in this case in greater proximity to the protagonist figures can be appreciated another woman who also observes the two figures located in the center of the composition. These characteristics indicate that the artist is representing the visit that the Virgin, already pregnant with Christ, makes to her older cousin Elizabeth, pregnant with St. John the Baptist, in the city of Hebron, a theme taken from the Gospel of Luke (1: 39-56). However, it is strange that neither St. Joseph nor Elizabeth's husband, who are frequent figures in the representation of this theme, are present in the representation. Except for the presence of the aforementioned characters, it must be said that the painting follows the text of the Bible almost to the detail: it is even possible that the posture of Elizabeth, who is about to kneel down, was either to feel the movement of her son when recognizing Christ, or alluding to the greeting she makes to Mary ("Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb"). The copper not only shows St. Joseph and Zechariah, but a whole procession is part of the scene that is crowned with several little angels that seem to celebrate the meeting between the women. The relevance of this image, which became popular during the Baroque period, transcends the mere encounter, since it is the first link between St. John the Baptist and Jesus, indispensable for each other. In fact, the relevance of the subject matter and the large dimensions, taking into account the support, indicate that the work was probably part of a cliché destined to ornament a sacred space. It presents restorations.

Estim. 5 000 - 6 000 EUR

Lot 113 - Italian school; XVIII century. "Madonna and Child". Oil on canvas. Relined. It presents restorations and damages caused by xylophages. It has inscription on the back. Measurements: 39 x 29 cm; 51 x 40 cm (frame). Oil on canvas that shows us an image of great tradition in Western art as the presentation of the Virgin and Child. The author resolves the scene through a simple composition that allows the viewer to empathize in a direct way with the image. In the foreground we can appreciate the Child Jesus lying on a white sheet that is being held by Mary in a delicate and maternal way. The Virgin observes her son in the background in a pious attitude, although her pink tunic iconographically indicates the sacrifice and the Calvary of her son. The neutral background that monumentalizes the figure of both protagonists and gives them the maximum prominence, added to an interest in capturing the filial maternal bond between the two characters, brings us closer to an advanced period in which religious representations, always linked to a didactic purpose, try to awaken in the faithful a high degree of empathy. For this reason, these images are conceived as a visual narration, which must always be clearly legible. It presents restorations and damages caused by xylophagous.

Estim. 1 400 - 1 600 EUR

Lot 114 - Novo-Hispanic school; second half of the XVIII century. "Virgin of La Merced". Oil on canvas. Measurements: 62 x 45 cm; 79 x 63 cm (frame). Devotional image of the Virgin of Mercy, accompanied by two saints praying at her feet. The Virgin is represented seated on a pedestal of clouds, accompanied by several child angels, on her knees also standing can be seen Jesus Child. The Virgin of Mercy is a Marian invocation of the Virgin Mary, whose devotion has its origin in Catalonia. The Order of Mercy was founded around her, initiated by St. Peter Nolasco at the beginning of the 13th century. It was precisely the Mercedarian monks who spread her cult throughout Spain, France and Italy from that date onwards. The iconography for the representations of the Virgin of Mercy acquires its definitive form in the 16th century, and consists of the Mercedarian habit with tunic, scapular and cape, all in white, with the Mercedarian coat of arms on the chest. She usually appears with a queen's crown, and also with the scepter in her right hand. It is worth mentioning that, during the Spanish colonial domination, a mainly religious painting was developed, aimed at Christianizing the indigenous peoples. The local painters 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, it was not until the first years of the 19th century, already in times of independence and political opening of some of the colonies, that several artists began to represent a new model of painting with its own identity.

Estim. 1 200 - 1 500 EUR

Lot 115 - Spanish school; 17th century. "Saint John the Baptist". Oil on canvas. Preserves original canvas. Former attribution to Juan Bautista Maino (Pastrana, Guadalajara, 1581 - Madrid, 1649). Measurements: 102 x 77 cm; 187 x 135 cm (frame). In this work, deeply marked by devotion, the painter portrays Saint John the Baptist as a young beardless boy, holding the cross of reeds with the phylactery which reads "Ecce Agnus Dei", typical of his iconography. The saint is shown set in a lush nocturnal landscape of great depth, worked with a successful play of light contrasts that allow the mother-of-pearl finish of the protagonist's skin to become the illumination of the work. This characteristic shows us a delicate young man, not only in tone but also in form, with a rounded, delicate anatomy, as can be seen especially in the legs and also in the facial features, with the profile of the nose standing out, which is further enhanced by a pinkish finish that enhances the idea of youth. The painter of the work, which is based on the classical iconography of the scene, although he abandons the idea of the lamb, which is customary in depictions of Saint John the Baptist. In such a way that it gives greater prominence to the figure of the saint, in an individual, delicate and resounding manner. The quality of the finishes is excellent, the subtlety of the Nimbus of Holiness and the folding of the red cloak, with its play of light and shadow that shapes the volume in a fluid and natural way, are examples of the painter's artistic skill. The Gospels say of John the Baptist that he was the son of the priest Zechariah and Elizabeth, cousin of the Virgin Mary. He retired at a very young age to the Judean desert to lead an ascetic life and preach penance, and recognised in Jesus, who was baptised by him, the Messiah foretold by the prophets. A year after Christ's baptism, in the year 29, John was arrested and imprisoned by the tetrarch of Galilee Herod Antipas, whose marriage to Herodias, his niece and sister-in-law, he had dared to censure. Finally St. John was beheaded, and his head given to Salome as a reward for his beautiful dances. This saint appears in Christian art in two different guises: as a child, a playmate of Jesus, and as an adult, an ascetic preacher. The adult Saint John depicted here is dressed in Eastern art in a camel-skin sackcloth, which in the West was replaced by a sheepskin, leaving his arms, legs and part of his torso bare. The red cloak he wears at times, as well as in the scene of his intercession at the Last Judgement, alludes to his martyrdom. In Byzantine art he is depicted as a large-winged angel, with his severed head on a tray which he holds in his hands. However, his attributes in Western art are very different. The most frequent is a lamb, alluding to Jesus Christ, and he often carries a cross of reeds with a phylactery with the inscription "Ecce Agnus Dei".

Estim. 28 000 - 30 000 EUR

Lot 116 - Workshop of the MASTER OF THE PRODIGAL SON (Flanders, active ca.1530 - ca.1560), second third of the 16th century. "Christ supported by the Virgin and Saint John, Oil on oak panel. 16th century frame. Size: 106 x 66 cm; 116.5 x 76 cm (frame). The Master of the Prodigal Son was the name agreed upon by historians to refer to a Flemish painter and tapestry and stained glass designer who had an important workshop in Antwerp between 1530 and 1560. He painted religious subjects, landscapes, genre scenes and allegories. He is considered one of the leading masters of 16th-century Flemish Mannerism. The present Flemish painting, which is of notable quality, displays elements typical of the workshop of the Master of the Prodigal Son, such as the exquisiteness of the palette, with its bright, smooth colours, as well as the compositional symmetry and stylisation of the bodies. The predominance of line does not detract from the modelling. The lifeless body of Christ is supported by the Virgin and Saint John, who flank him, with the Holy Spirit occupying the golden break of glory. Heavenly light seems to emerge from within Christ's marble flesh-toned body. The draped cloth is deftly folded over his legs. John and Mary's features convey the utmost tenderness and their sorrowful eyes gleam against the fair skins with a beautiful brown glow. The Master of the Prodigal Son was named after the work "The Prodigal Son at a Gallant Feast" (Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna) and has been successively identified with Jan Mandijn, Anthonis de Palermo and Lenaert Kroes. Other paintings have been grouped around his eponymous work: a Pieta (National Gallery, London), Virtue Rewarding Ardor and Punishing Sloth (private collection) and Satan Sowing the Tares (Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp). The colours of his paintings are dominated by various shades of red, green and yellow. The figures are slender and their disproportionately large hands stand out. His work shows the influence of the leading painters working in Antwerp in the mid-16th century. The accentuated realism of some of the figures in his work is closely related to Pieter Aertsen. A certain mannerism in his work brings him closer to that of Jan Mandijn and Frans Floris, as well as to the School of Fontainebleau. This aspect is most evident in his compositions with large figures, such as Lot and his Daughters (Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp), in which the figures have a sculptural character. The colour of the skin is light and, in the female figures, has the sheen of marble. The bearded figures, on the other hand, are closer to the work of Frans Floris and Pieter Coecke van Aelst.

Estim. 8 000 - 10 000 EUR

Lot 117 - 16th century Flemish school. "The Pietà". Tempera on panel. Cradled. Measurements: 36,50 x 30 cm; 55 x 48 cm (frame). This work shows us the theme of the Pietà. In it we can see the Virgin resting her head on her son, while holding him from behind. The use of cold and muted tones added to the type of composition, placing the Virgin in the background and finally, in the foreground, the figure of the Dead Christ. The iconography of the Pietà arises from a gradual evolution of five centuries and, according to Panofsky, derives from the theme of the Byzantine Threnos, the lamentation of the Virgin over the dead body of Jesus, as well as from the Virgin of Humility. The first artists to see the possibilities of this theme were German sculptors, the first example being found in the city of Coburg, a piece from around 1320. With the passage of time the iconography will spread throughout Europe, and already in the seventeenth century, after the Counter-Reformation, it became one of the most important themes of devotional painting.

Estim. 10 000 - 12 000 EUR

Lot 118 - Italian school of the XVII century. "Mary Magdalene." Oil on canvas. It has patches on the back. Measurements: 77 x 65 cm; 95 x 79 cm (frame). Mary Magdalene was a biblical figure extremely represented in the Baroque period, especially in the Italian painting of more sensualist roots. Here, a strong chiaroscuro models the soft features and lush flesh tones of the saint. While Eastern Christianity honors Mary Magdalene especially for her closeness to Jesus, considering her "equal to the apostles", in the West the idea developed, based on her identification with other women in the Gospels, that before meeting Jesus she had dedicated herself to prostitution. Hence the later legend narrates that she spent the rest of her life as a penitent in the desert, mortifying her flesh. In art she was preferably represented in this way, especially in the 17th century, a time when Catholic societies felt a special fascination for the lives of mystics and saints who lived in solitude in wild places, dedicated to prayer and penance. The theme of the Magdalene, moreover, offered the possibility of representing a beautiful woman who shows some parts of the anatomy then considered taboo, such as the feet or the breast, but who in her respects decorum because she is mortified flesh that expresses repentance for her past sins. This work is inscribed within the aesthetic patterns of the work of Luca Giordano, the most prominent Neapolitan painter of the late seventeenth century, and one of the main representatives of the last Italian Baroque. Painter and engraver, known in Spain as Lucas Jordan, Giordano enjoyed great popularity during his lifetime, both in his native Italy and in our country. However, after his death his work was often criticized for its speed of execution, opposed to the Greco-Latin aesthetics. It is believed that he was formed in the environment of Ribera, whose style he followed at first. However, he soon traveled to Rome and Venice, where he studied Veronese, whose influence has been felt ever since in his work. This trip was key to the maturation of his style, as well as the influences of other artists such as Mattia Preti, Rubens, Bernini and, above all, Pietro da Cortona. At the end of the 1670s Giordano began his great mural decorations (Montecassino and San Gregorio Armeno in Naples), which were followed from 1682 by other projects, including the mural paintings in the gallery and library of the Palazzo Medici Ricardi in Florence. In 1692 he was called to Madrid to carry out mural works in the monastery of El Escorial, where he worked from 1692 to 1694. Later he also painted the office and bedroom of Charles II in the Royal Palace of Aranjuez, and after these he undertook the paintings of the Casón del Buen Retiro (ca. 1697), the sacristy of the cathedral of Toledo (1698), the royal chapel of the Alcázar and San Antonio de los Portugueses (1699). However, royal commissions ceased with the arrival of Philip V in 1701 and the beginning of the War of Succession, so Giordano returned to Naples in 1702, although from there he continued to send paintings to Spain. Today Giordano's works are kept in the most important art galleries around the world, including the Prado Museum, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, the Louvre in Paris, the Kunsthistorisches in Vienna, the Metropolitan in New York and the National Gallery in London. It has patches on the back.

Estim. 8 000 - 10 000 EUR

Lot 119 - ANGELICA KAUFFMANN (Switzerland, 1741- Italy, 1807). "Self-portrait". In hand-painted porcelain. Signed on recto (scroll) and verso. Measurements: 28,50 x 23 cm; 35 x 29 cm (frame). Female representation in painted porcelain. The portrait has been resolved with a precious technique that extracts the right qualities and textures. The painter is inspired by the neoclassical and idalized models of Angelica Kauffmann. This self-portrait of Angelica Kauffmann, executed in oil on fired ceramic, is one of the works of the distinctive neoclassical painter, famous throughout Europe for her portraits. In this piece, Kauffmann demonstrates not only her technical skill but also her ability to infuse her works with life and character. The choice of ceramic support, unusual at the time for portraits of this nature, reveals his eagerness to experiment and transcend the conventional boundaries of the art of his time. The fired finish of the ceramic adds a unique texture and durability that symbolizes the timelessness of his artistic legacy. In the self-portrait, Kauffmann presents himself with a serene and contemplative countenance, looking directly at the viewer, a gaze that reflects the confidence and pride of his vast cultural and artistic training. Her neoclassical style of dress unfolds in delicate folds, masterfully painted to capture the subtlety of the fabrics and the elegance of the fashions of her time. The soft, balanced colors in pastels and deep blue, characteristic of his palette, give the composition an atmosphere of harmony and refinement. The background is simple, highlighting the figure of Kauffmann, which is typical of his style, where the central figure is always the focal point. This minimalism in the setting underscores his ability to focus attention on the expression and presence of the portrayed subject. The self-portrait is not only a testament to her technical skill, but also an affirmation of her identity and status as an artist in an era dominated by male figures. The clarity with which her face is presented and the precision of the details suggest deep introspection and a keen understanding of herself, attributes that are also reflected in her prolific correspondence and personal writings. In every brushstroke and every detail they tell a story of dedication, talent and the tenacity of a woman who made her way in the art world at a time when barriers were significant. The work is ultimately a celebration of the life and career of one of the most gifted and recognized artists of her time, whose influence endures to this day. Kauffmann, born in Switzerland but raised in a multicultural environment with German and Austrian influences, received an exceptional education under the tutelage of her father, also a painter. From an early age, she showed incredible intellectual and artistic ability, excelling not only in painting, but also in music and singing. This cultural background and his multilingual skills are reflected in the sophistication and cosmopolitanism of his work. At the age of 12 he was already portraying nobles and clergymen, and his first trip to Italy marked the beginning of a series of influences that would shape his style. His training in cities such as Milan, Bologna, Venice and Florence, and his admission to the Academy of Art in Florence at the age of 21, cemented his prestige. His stay in Naples and subsequent move to England, where he became a prominent figure among the elite, consolidated his reputation.

Estim. 14 000 - 15 000 EUR

Lot 120 - PEDRO ATANASIO BOCANEGRA (Granada, 1638 - 1689). "Immaculate Conception". Oil on canvas. Relined. Presents restorations. Measurements: 81 x 61 cm; 100 x 84 cm (frame). The painting corresponds to the theme, composition and technique of Pedro Atanasio, very influenced by Alonso Cano and Van Dyck. Pedro Atanasio de Bocanegra, a disciple of Alonso Cano, Pedro Moya and Juan de Sevilla, became in the 1660s the most active artist in his hometown. His first known work was the decorations for the Corpus Christi festivities in his hometown in 1661. During the following years we find commissions such as the series of canvases he executed between 1665 and 1666 for the cloister of the convent of Nuestra Señora de Gracia, now lost; or the numerous paintings, among them the "Conversion of St. Paul", which he painted between 1668 and 1672 for the altar of the college of the Society of Jesus, now the church of Saints Justo and Pastor (in situ). At the same time he was commissioned to decorate the Carthusian monastery of Granada with large scenes on the life of the Virgin, a set that includes two works currently preserved in the Prado Museum: "Apparition of the Virgin to St. Bernard" and "The Virgin and St. Peter giving the rule to some Carthusian friars". He was also appointed painter of the cathedral. After this period he went to Seville in 1686, and from there he left for the court of Madrid, where he was protected by Don Pedro de Toledo, Marquis of Mancera. Thanks to the influence of his protector, Bocanegra achieved the title of painter of the king "ad honorem" for his painting "Allegory of Justice", inspired by a Venetian print of the mid-sixteenth century, and currently preserved in the Royal Academy of San Fernando. Other conserved works of his are "The Adoration of the Eucharist" (convent of the Góngoras, Madrid), several portraits of members of the Trinitarian order (Palace of Charles V, Granada), as well as those conserved in the Prado: several paintings representing the Virgin and Child and different saints, and "The Triumph of David". After his stay in Madrid, Pedro Bocanegra returned to Granada, where he met the painter and architect Teodoro de Ardemans, who portrayed him in a canvas kept in the archbishop's palace of Granada. Bocanegra developed a style close to that of his master Cano, being admired for the great charm of his religious images, represented with great delicacy. His weakness in drawing was compensated with a pleasant coloring, very worked, which demonstrates his interest in contemporary Flemish art, especially that of Anton van Dyck. In addition to the aforementioned art galleries and religious centers, we can currently find works by this master in the Museum of Zaragoza, the Museum of Goya in Castres, the Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art in Vitoria and the Museum of Fine Arts in Granada, as well as in various private collections. It presents restorations.

Estim. 3 500 - 4 000 EUR

Lot 121 - Flemish school; last third of the XVI century. "Christ on the way to Calvary". Oil on panel. It presents faults and restorations. Measurements: 77 x 107 cm; 95 x 127 cm (frame). A multitude of characters swirls as a frieze around the figure of Christ, located in the center of the scene. Kneeling on the ground, due to the fall caused by the weight of the cross and the abuses of the procession that follows him, Jesus looks at the viewer, showing with his gesture sorrow, but at the same time compassion. The face of Christ is the only one that directly addresses the viewer, while the other protagonists focus their attention on the son of God, in fact, this differentiation is made by the artist in the aesthetics used to configure the other characters. While they retain certain features inherited from the Gothic, the figure of Jesus shows a much more naturalistic volume close to the forms of the Renaissance. The influence of Flemish painting can be appreciated in the characterization of the characters, specifically in the expressiveness of the faces. Although we can also appreciate certain reminiscences of the Italian school as for example the orange tunic of the character that is in the right zone closing the composition. It should be noted that the Flemish school was characterized by creating an art for the bourgeoisie with a stable political situation and economic strength. In Flanders a monumental art flourished in the service of the Catholic Church, partly due to the necessary restoration of the ravages that the wars had caused in churches and convents. In the field of secular art, Flemish painters worked for the court in Brussels and also for the other courts of Europe, producing a painting with classical, mythological and historical themes that was to decorate brilliantly the Royal Sites of Spain, France and England. This oil on canvas depicts the fall of Jesus on the road to Mount Calvary, overcome by the weight of the cross. 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, he 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 here 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 trust, seeking his help and forgiveness. It presents faults and restorations.

Estim. 9 500 - 10 000 EUR

Lot 122 - Follower of REMBRANDT HARMENSZOON VAN RIJN (Leiden,1606- Amsterdam, 1669). "The Dormition of the Virgin". Oil on panel. Cradled. It presents restorations and faults on the pictorial surface. Measurements: 79 x 63 cm; 100 x 84 cm (frame). This painting follows the compositional model established by Rembrandt in his engraving of the Virgin's Dormition, created in 1639. The Hispanic Digital Library has a copy in its collection, which it describes as follows: "One of his most famous religious etchings is The Death of the Virgin, 1639. It is the first etching in which he used drypoint in a generalized manner, and the largest after The Hundred Florins. There are three states of this engraving and the Biblioteca Nacional has two excellent copies of the second state. The scene can be related to Dürer's The Death of the Virgin, which Rembrandt bought at auction in 1638, and also to several drawings of this period, such as The Death of Jacob or those of Saskia ill in bed. In The Death of the Virgin, the apostles surround the Virgin's mortuary bed in grief, while the angels circle around her to receive her soul. It is a multitudinous composition in which each person shows their grief in a different way. The room is adorned with large curtains, rugs and a canopied bed. The play of light and shadow is studied so that the attention is focused on the dead Virgin and the break of glory that occupies the entire upper part of the print, where Rembrandt uses very long and crossed lines. It is in this print that he first uses, in a generalized way, the drypoint on the clean plate before completing it with etching. From this moment on, this technique becomes for Rembrandt a true means of artistic expression." Displaced from the center of the scene, rests the figure of the Virgin with closed eyes and lying on a bed. The presence of the afflicted apostles at the feet of the figure of the Virgin, and the appearance of the angels indicate to us that this is the representation of the passage of the Virgin. A theme that became popular during the Baroque period and later, due to the Counter-Reformation, which led the Christian religion to resort to various passages from the life of the Virgin. In the work, the great magnificence shown by the architecture that configures the scene stands out especially. According to the Apocryphal Gospels, after St. Michael announced her earthly end, the Virgin summoned the apostles, who came to her call except for St. Thomas, who was preaching in India. We can appreciate how the author of this canvas has been able to assimilate the lesson of the undisputed master of chiaroscuro, the monochromatic tonalities with spectacular hallmarks. We can also appreciate the imprint of Rembrandt's varied impastos, whose brushstrokes varied from delicate glazes to the touch of a brush rich in matter. Rembrandt was, in addition to being a master painter, an exceptional engraver. He worked with both burin and drypoint, always dispensing with prior drawing, attacking the plate directly and exploiting to the maximum the expressive possibilities of the etching technique. He made many tests, removing and inserting elements and retouching, hence the great sense of immediacy of his engravings. He made up to ten different states, and it even took him years to finish some of his works. His favorite theme was the self-portrait: he took himself as a model to study his affections, and at the same time he left a record of his personality and the passage of time. It presents restorations and faults on the pictorial surface.

Estim. 7 000 - 8 000 EUR

Lot 123 - Spanish school; first of the XVII century. "Holy Family with St. Joachim and St. Anne". Oil on canvas. Relined. Presents remains of label on the back. Measurements: 127 x 103 cm. The Virgin with the Child, St. Joseph, St. Anne and St. Joachim form a closed and intimate group in this baroque painting of Italian school. Gestures and gestures converge towards the center of the scene where Jesus is in the lap of his grandmother. The figure of the men, St. Joseph and St. Joachim, is in the background, but even so, their monumentality reflects the relevance of the mimes both in the image and in the biblical portrait. The light also has an intense effect on the maternity, so that the Marian flesh tones are almost pearly, while the other faces are more atheistic. The naturalism printed in the expressions and garments stands out: the aged skins of some, while others are characterized by their vivid freshness. Likewise, the fabrics combine the smoothness of silk with the roughness of coarse cloths. In short, the painting is fully ascribed to the Italian Baroque. 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 has label remains on the back.

Estim. 7 500 - 8 000 EUR

Lot 124 - Spanish School; XVIII century. "Infant Jesus and St. John". Polychrome carved wood. Measurements: 81 x 34 x 27 cm (x2). In both cases, the infantile representation of the Infant Jesus and Saint John was very common in the Baroque, uniting, in addition, both figures by their family relationship and their similar destiny, in addition to the function of the Baptist and others. Visually, it is one of those "soft and gentle" themes that, in the spectator, awaken memories (or anticipations) of what will happen in the future in the life of both, religion reaching the heart of this same faithful through feeling, as was usual at the time. Thus, it was not unusual to see them "together" both in paintings and sculptures, differentiated by small details when the carvings are presented without clothing, but clearly when they would be "complete" (clothing, hairpieces, iconographic elements, etc.). This type of dressed religious images have been made in the West especially since the Baroque, an artistic style very interested in the representation of figures as realistic as possible. Sometimes the figures are even provided with natural hair and eyes and other glass elements. It is not uncommon for the entire body of the figure to be carved in wood and polychrome, but it was also very common for only the parts of the body that would be seen once the image was dressed (that is, hands and face) to be made of wood and the rest to be made of esparto grass or wood with little or no work, or even strips joined together. This allowed a lowering of costs, so that the brotherhoods or churches could choose artists of higher quality for the realization of their images. In addition, the figures would wear quality embroidered cloaks and other garments, so that the worked part would not be seen, being then a dispensable expense. The "cap i pota" images are figures worked in detail only on the face and hands, on a wooden structure carved to a greater or lesser extent. Although the figures for dress were often used in processions, in this case it is a figure destined for private devotion, given its small size. The visible parts are covered with a thin layer of stucco and polychromed, while the rest is covered by real clothes. They are images that were especially liked for their naturalism, since by wearing authentic clothes a greater degree of realism was achieved than with the simply carved ones, which often did not have enough quality to achieve that degree of naturalism, so sought after in religious art since the Baroque period. Due to its formal characteristics, we relate this work to the hand of the Granada painter and sculptor José Risueño, trained with his father, Manuel Risueño, and with the painter Juan de Sevilla, both in turn disciples of Alonso Cano. Throughout his life Risueño made an abundant artistic production of religious themes, characterized by the combination of the influence of Cano's models with a taste for naturalism and the use to build his compositions of Flemish prints by Van Dyck. He enjoyed great success during his lifetime, and in fact was protected by prominent figures of the Church and worked in the factory of the cathedral of Granada, which guaranteed him a flow of commissions. His main protector will be, from 1693, the archbishop Martín Azcargorta, and it will be precisely since then when the artist reached the maturity of his language and mastery. He will make important works such as the Christ of the convent of San Angel or the Immaculate of the altar of the cathedral of Granada, although his most famous work, and also the last one he made, was the series of sixteen figures that make up the altarpiece of San Ildefonso. The sculpture of José Risueño is characterized by the small figures, the technical virtuosity of rococo influence and the quality of his polychromies, since he was also a painter.

Estim. 13 000 - 14 000 EUR

Lot 125 - Neapolitan school; c. 1700. "Still life." Oil on canvas glued to tablex. It presents faults and restorations on the pictorial surface. Measurements: 98 x 156 cm; 106 x 166 cm (frame). The painter has arranged on an elongated surface that opens to the exterior a sumptuous still life. The multitude of fruits of this still life are painted with meticulousness and realism, with warm reddish and orange tones, besides some violet tones, they are softly illuminated by a frontal spotlight external to the composition. This lighting, somewhat theatrical, makes them stand out against a practically monochrome, earthy-toned background, except for the upper left zone dominated by the landscape. Aesthetically the work is close to the painting of Giovanni Battista Ruoppolo (Naples 1629-1692). This painter, a disciple of Paolo Porpora (1617-1673) devoted much of his career to the painting of still lifes, a genre that was born in Baroque times, reaching great popularity. Although it was not the pictorial genre most appreciated by scholars and academics, always interested in painting history, mythology or religious themes, bourgeois and aristocrats throughout Europe, but especially in Flanders, the Netherlands, Spain and southern Italy, were extraordinarily attracted by the painting of objects of everyday reality, which they commissioned to decorate their rooms. Fruits and flowers, sometimes accompanied by game, ornamental objects (ceramic, glass or metal pieces, watches, jewelry) and books became the protagonists of splendid compositions that sometimes reach a high degree of verism and sometimes conceal a symbolic meaning, reflections on the passage of time, life and death or even religious questions. Still life presents, in the different territories in which it is cultivated, particular characteristics. In the case of Naples, it is a genre linked to painting derived from Caravaggio and also, to a large extent, to the school of the Spanish Golden Age. It is thus characterized by its formal restraint compared to the Flemish still life, with dark backgrounds, which give a certain aura of mystery to the composition, and a violent, theatrical lighting. Giovanni Battista Ruoppolo presents, in his youth, to which the work we present here could belong, a marked inclination towards the "tenebrist", "caravaggist" treatment of light, although he would later evolve towards more decorative compositions. It presents faults and restorations on the pictorial surface.

Estim. 7 000 - 8 000 EUR

Lot 126 - Italian school; 17th century. "The return of the prodigal son". Oil on canvas. Presents restorations. Attached export permit. Measurements: 156 x 144 cm; 160 x 147 cm (frame). Aesthetically the work belongs to the circle of Guercino, who was one of the most acclaimed Italian artists in the first half of the seventeenth century. The quality of the composition, the anatomical care especially noticeable in the body of the young man on the right, the rigor of the qualities and the representation of the ages of the characters reveal a great mastery of the hand of the artist. The present canvas represents the parable of the prodigal son which, together with that of the lost sheep and the lost coin, forms a trilogy traditionally called the parables of mercy. The Parable tells " A man had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, "Father, give me the portion of the inheritance that is due to me." And he divided the inheritance to them. A few days later the younger son gathered it all together and went away to a far country where he squandered his inheritance living like a libertine. "When he had spent everything, an extreme famine came upon that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and made an adjustment with one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his farms to graze pigs. And he wished to fill his belly with the carob that the pigs ate, but no one would give it to him. And coming to himself, he said: "How many of my father's hired servants have bread in abundance, while I am starving here! I will arise and go to my father and say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants." And he arose and went to his father. "While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and, moved, ran to him, threw himself on his neck and kissed him warmly. The son said to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I no longer deserve to be called your son." But the father said to his servants, "Bring quickly the best robe and dress him, put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. Bring the fatted bullock, slaughter it, and let us eat and feast, for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." And they began the feast. His eldest son was in the field, and on his return, when he came near the house, he heard the music and the dancing; and he called one of the servants and asked him what it was. He said to him, "Your brother has returned, and your father has killed the fattened steer, for he has recovered him sound." He was irritated and would not go in. His father came out and begged him. But he replied to his father, "I have served you for so many years, and I have never failed to do a command of yours, but you have never given me a kid to have a feast with my friends; now that son of yours has come, who has devoured your inheritance with prostitutes, you have killed for him the fatted bullock!" But he said to him, "Son, thou art ever with me, and all that is mine is thine; but it was fitting to hold a feast and rejoice, because this brother of thine was dead, and is come to life again; he was lost, and is found." The main influences that shaped Guercino's style were the Bolognese; Ludovico Carracci, his cousin Hannibal Carracci and the Ferrarese Ippolito Scarsella. Apart from a two-year stay in Rome during the papacy of the Bolognese Gregorio XV Ludovisi, his activity developed in his hometown until 1642 when he moved to neighboring Bologna. He was about twenty-five years old when he came to the attention of his first important clients, among them Cardinal Alessandro Ludovisi, Archbishop of Bologna; Cardinal Jacopo Serra, papal legate in Ferrara; Grand Duke Cosimo II of Tuscany; and Duke Ferdinand Gonzaga of Mantua. By the mid-1620s he had turned down invitations to work outside Italy, from Charles I of England among others. He seems to have been reluctant to enter into direct competition with his Bolognese rivals, especially Guido Reni, who from about 1610 was the most celebrated painter in Italy. Most of his abundant output consists of altar and easel paintings, but in the first half of his career he also painted frescoes in Cento, Bologna, Rome (the Aurora on the ceiling of the Casino Ludovisi) and the cathedral of Piacenza (1626-1627). His first style, "tenebrist", is characterized by dramatic lighting, saturated colors and agitated compositions. His stay in Rome led him to gradually modify his style towards a much more idealized and classical language, with more calm and structured compositions, more elegant contours, a palette generally lighter and richer in pastels. It presents restorations. Attached export permit.

Estim. 9 000 - 10 000 EUR

Lot 127 - Flemish school; second half of the 16th century. "Holy Family". Oil on oak panel. Cradled. Brushed board. Presents label on the back. Measurements: 66 x 50 cm; 113 x 98 cm (frame). In the present work we are presented in an intimate way to the Virgin breastfeeding the Child while San José, leaning on a table, contemplates the scene. It is an intimate moment that opens up to the spectator, making him a participant. A placid and almost idyllic scene in which a window bursts in on the left side that brings us to the earthly world letting us see a landscape. The representation and model of the Holy Family has served as an image that reinforces the family portrait and the moral representation of the Christian family. The different variants that have come down to us from the history of art have been due to the political and religious needs of the moment. In the Italian Renaissance period for art, but late medieval in terms of society, the iconography of the Holy Family was based predominantly on the Virgin, Child and St. Anne, especially in the Tuscan area, because the mother of the Virgin was the patron saint of the city of Florence. The figure of St. Joseph, although he is not usually represented in the iconography of this theme, or if he does it is in a more restrained and almost secondary way, it is during the seventeenth century that his figure as earthly father of the Child takes more relevance in the scenes where his paternal and protective role is more palpable and even, sometimes, protagonist. This is due to the thought that the Church throughout history has had about him, whose interest in the figure of St. Joseph was reconsidered as new beliefs were reworked, adding to it the development of bourgeois society.

Estim. 9 000 - 10 000 EUR

Lot 128 - Spanish or Italian school; second third of the 16th century. "The adoration of the shepherds". Oil on panel. Cradled. Presents faults, losses and Repainting. It has damages caused by xylophagous. Measurements: 181 x 121 cm; 210 x 145 cm (frame). This Adoration of the Shepherds is represented in front of a classic ruin sublimated with a palette of tones of great expressiveness that reveal the scenographic taste of the Italian school. The characters are crowded in the foreground around the Child Jesus, who occupies a central place. The gestural emphasis and the clothing individualize each figure, giving them all personality. The influence of the Italian school can be appreciated in their characterizations and elegance of bearing, as well as in the exquisite treatment of the fabrics. Also typical of his workshop were the rich and varied shades of gray and blue of the landscape in contrast with the warm shades of the clothing. As for the iconography, we are in front of a scene from The Adoration of the Shepherds, the representation of this biblical scene from the Gospel of Luke began to take shape in European art from the twelfth century, coinciding with the emergence of some ascetic movements promoted by monks and laymen who defended a more human Christ, extolled poverty and criticized the opulence of the clergy. From then on it enjoyed great popularity among artists because it allowed them to show their mastery in the treatment of light, as we see in this piece. We find, then, a scene of adoration in a place where classical architectural forms are observed, it is not a stable of straw and wood as was observed in earlier times. The theme of the Adoration of the Shepherds, referred to in the Bible, has great importance in art because it is the first moment in which Christ reveals his divinity to the world. The iconography of this panel is the usual one of the time: certain details of Flemish influence (care in the qualities of the clothes, the richness of the characters, their physical features, the coloring...) together with others that have been maintained from the local Spanish tradition. It is worth mentioning the treatment of color, with a palette of bright colors that only darken in the final shots. 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 in the treatment of the fabrics that make up the scene, this work can be inscribed within the mannerist school. In fact, a very characteristic feature of this school is the anatomical elongation, which can be seen especially in the configuration of the Virgin's face and the Child's body. It presents faults, losses and Repainting. It has damages caused by xylophagous.

Estim. 17 000 - 18 000 EUR

Lot 129 - Spanish school; XIX century. "Velazquez characters". Oil on canvas. It has a frame of the seventeenth century. Measurements: 41 x 55 cm; 70 x 60 cm (frame). In the portraits of each one of the characters that compose this image we can observe the line of the Spanish baroque in the custom of representing popular types typical of Velázquez's painting. The artist offers us a work worked with delicacy, with special emphasis on the chivalrous character of the protagonists. In this work we see a scene inspired by the costumbrismo of the XVII century, worked with a realistic language where the composition stands out, balanced and well settled. This composition and the theme treated by the author, typical of the scenes of the reality of the Spain of the Golden Century and the picaresque literature of the time, bring the piece closer to the naturalist current. 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. 1 200 - 1 400 EUR

Lot 130 - Spanish school; XVIII century. "Still life". Oil on canvas. Relined. Measurements: 50 x 74 cm; 63 x 87 cm (frame). The still life that occupies us sinks its roots in the baroque still life. We are in front of a variegated composition centered in a clearly delimited space, in which the illusionist taste of the painter stands out, who superimposes some elements on others, thus creating the typical baroque trompe l'oeil. The still life in Spain was one of the most characteristic genres and, due to its special peculiarities, it is clearly different from the same theme in workshops in the rest of Europe. The term appeared at the end of the 16th century, and stands out in this school for its austerity, in clear contrast with the Flemish sumptuousness, although with a series of influences from the latter and the Italian school. Sánchez Cotán's works were so successful that his style had numerous followers (Juan de Espinosa, Antonio Ponce, Juan van der Hamen y León, etc.). In this context, the Spanish school contributed its own particularities, thanks, above all, to Velázquez and Zurbarán. Highly appreciated within the antiquarian market, as well as among collectors and art historians, the Spanish Baroque still life school enjoyed a spectacular development, leaving behind the splendors of the 16th century and progressing within a fully Baroque and clearly identifiable style. In Spain, the development of the genre was clearly marked by Italian influence, specifically by the contribution of the Neapolitan school. Currently this school is considered one of the most outstanding within the Baroque still life.

Estim. 2 500 - 2 800 EUR

Lot 131 - Novo-Hispanic school; XVII century. "Virgin with Child". Oil on panel. Presents period frame. Measurements: 66 x 48 cm; 83 x 55 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 them, 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. It is worth mentioning that, during the Spanish colonial domination, a mainly religious painting was developed, aimed at Christianizing the indigenous peoples. The local painters 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, it was not until the first years of the 19th century, already in times of independence and political opening of some of the colonies, that several artists began to represent a new model of painting with its own identity.

Estim. 4 500 - 5 000 EUR

Lot 132 - Spanish school, after RAFAEL SANZIO (Italy, 1483 - 1520); XVI century. "Holy Family". Oil on panel. Presents faults and restorations. Measurements: 57 x 39 cm; 83 x 65 cm (frame). This work is inspired by Raphael's painting of the Holy Family accompanied by St. John the Baptist child and St. Joseph. The placement of the different figures reflects the hierarchy of the characters in this iconography. Thus, we see St. Joseph behind almost hidden in the shadows, while the Virgin and the two children remain in the foreground, directly illuminated. These figures form a typically Raphaelesque pyramidal scheme, much imitated by his followers, clearly classical, which anchors the composition and balances it. In addition, this scheme serves to focus attention on the two main characters: Jesus and Mary. It is a closed composition in itself, with all the characters looking at each other, establishing a rhythm of circular reading that does not include the viewer, contrary to what will happen later in the baroque. Oblivious to everything else, the figures look at each other: Elizabeth looks at Jesus, he looks at Mary, she looks at Johnny and he, closing the circle, looks at Jesus. On this perfect balance Raphael introduces, however, a marked dynamism through the helicoidal movement of the Virgin's body. The "serpentine" form that her figure adopts physically relates the figures, reinforcing the dialogue previously established by their gazes. Nevertheless, in spite of this dominant classicism, mannerist features can already be appreciated, such as a certain compositional tension and the somewhat undefined shape of the space, two effects that seek to create an expressive tension in the image. Regarding the subject matter, the iconography that introduces the figure of St. John the Baptist in scenes of the Holy Family or Mary with the Child is not only due to the saint's condition as a relative of Jesus, but also has a theological meaning. These images present St. John the Baptist as a prophet who announces the redemptive mission of Christ, and that is why, despite the fact that he is represented as a child, before his retreat to the desert, he appears with the skin of a lamb or camel and, generally, accompanied by the usual iconographic attributes in his images, which allude to the Passion of Christ. However, unlike what happens in other paintings, both by Raphael and other authors, here the children appear outside the dramatic destiny of Jesus. It presents faults and restorations.

Estim. 2 800 - 3 000 EUR

Lot 133 - School of BARTOLOME ESTEBAN MURILLO (Seville, 1617 - 1682). "Virgin and Child"- Oil on canvas. Relined. It presents Repainting and faults in the pictorial surface. Measurements: 146 x 104 cm; 157 x 115 cm (frame). Murillo invented an own model of Maternity, in which the union of the Mother and the Child was full and juicy, so that the tenderness and the affection were prioritized above all will to represent the figures in their sacredness. In fact, they could be ordinary people, a young woman with her child. The painter in question, a follower of Murillo, takes up this legacy, as he also makes an expressive baroque chiaroscuro his own. In the present version, the Virgin is represented full-length, seated, holding in her lap the Infant Jesus, seated on her thigh, whom she holds in her arms. The child, only two years old, is dressed in a white cloth, symbol of purity, held by his mother's hands. Both figures are enveloped in an atmosphere of darkness, inscribed in an indeterminate landscape, which does not allow us to visualize, or even imagine, the surrounding space. The artist focuses his painting especially on the beauty of the faces, recreating a prototype of feminine and childlike beauty, reaching what Murillo proposed at that time, completely angelic virgins. The faces and the rosy and serene flesh tones of the child stand out, which are underlined by the crimson pink tones of the Virgin's tunic. Following Murillo's original typology, the characters -unlike other iconographies of the same type made by Velázquez or Alonso Cano in which the protagonists cross their gazes-, look straight ahead, directed to the spectator. 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. It presents Repainting and faults in the pictorial surface.

Estim. 6 500 - 7 000 EUR

Lot 134 - French School, Circle of JEAN LOUIS FRANÇOISE LAGRENÉE (Paris, 1725 - 1805) .; second half of the 18th century. "Danae receiving the golden shower." Oil on canvas. Reliend. Measures: 84 x 94.5 cm; 100 x 109 cm (frame).

Estim. 8 500 - 9 000 EUR

Lot 135 - Attributed to DOMINGO MARTÍNEZ (Seville, 1688 - 1749), . "Immaculate Conception". Oil on canvas. Relined. Measurements: 106 x 77 cm; 125,5 x 101 cm (frame). We see in this work a representation of the Immaculate perfectly framed within the Spanish seventeenth century, marked at stylistic and iconographic level follows the models established in the Baroque, especially those established by the artist Juan Carreño Miranda in his work of the Immaculate Conception, located in the convent of the Barefoot. We see Mary dressed in white and blue (symbols of purity and the concepts of truth and eternity, respectively), surrounded by standing child angels. Some angels carry symbols of the litanies, such as the lilies or the palm. The definitive icnographic image of the Immaculate Conception took shape in the 16th century, apparently in Spain. Following a Valencian tradition, the Jesuit Father Alberro had a vision and described it to the painter Juan de Juanes so that he could capture it as faithfully as possible. It is an evolved iconographic concept, which is sometimes associated with the theme of the Coronation of the Virgin. Due to its artistic and aesthetic characteristics, it can be said that this canvas was made by a follower of the Spanish painter Domingo Martinez. This artist was trained in his hometown, being Lucas Valdés one of his teachers. The sources indicate that he was appreciated in his time, given that we find important commissions such as those received from the archbishop of Seville, for whom he made several paintings destined for the cathedral of the Andalusian capital and the church of Nuestra Señora de la Consolación in Umbrete. Likewise, during the stay of Philip V's court in Seville (1729-33) he maintained a relationship with French painters in the service of the king, such as Jean Ranc and Louis-Michel van Loo, whose influence will be evident in his work, combined with the direct inheritance of Murillo. On the other hand, it was precisely Ranc who proposed Martínez as court painter, an offer that the painter, however, rejected, since he did not wish to move to Madrid with the king. He had several disciples, and we know that his workshop trained Andrés de Rubira, Pedro Tortolero and Juan de Espinal, the latter painter who would eventually become his son-in-law and heir to the family workshop. His first important work was the decorative set of the church of the Colegio de San Telmo, with paintings on the life of Christ and his relationship with the sea, made in 1724. Six years later he painted two large paintings for the Convent of Santa Paula in Seville. In this same decade of 1730 he also produced individual works and sets for churches in Seville and its province, always with religious themes, as well as the portrait of Archbishop Luis de Salcedo y Azcona for the Archbishop's Palace of Seville (1739). He was equally prolific in the last decade of his life, when he created tempera decorations for the churches of Santa Ana and San Luis de los Franceses in Seville, as well as several canvases. His last work, produced around 1748, was a set of eight canvases representing the great masquerade held in Seville in June of the previous year on the occasion of the accession to the throne of Fernando VI. Works by Martínez are currently preserved in the Museum of Fine Arts in Seville.

Estim. 10 000 - 12 000 EUR

Lot 136 - Dutch school; c. 1600. "Portrait of a gentleman. Oil on oak panel. It retains the seal of the Infante Sebastián Gabriel de Borbón collection. It has faults and damage caused by xylophages. It has a 19th century frame. Measurements: 48 x 41 cm; 69 x 62 cm (frame). We see in this work a male portrait that presents us a young gentleman with sharp and elegant features, soberly dressed with a military uniform that shows a fleur-de-lis on his chest in golden colour. The luminosity of the face is emphasised by the flesh tones and a spotlight directed on the young man's face. The artist particularly emphasised the somewhat direct and penetrating gaze, which speaks to us of the psychology of the sitter, thus emphasising the formal distance typical of Baroque portraiture. The composition is sober, typical of Dutch portraiture of the time: the sitter is depicted bust-length, turned three-quarters of the way round with his head slightly turned towards the front, in the foreground, against a neutral, dark background, although somewhat brighter around the sitter's head. This work is attributed to Frans Pourbus the Younger (Antwerp, 1569 - Paris, 1622), a Flemish painter, son of Frans Pourbus the Elder and grandson of Pieter Pourbus. Pourbus worked for many of the most influential people of his time, including the Spanish regents of the Netherlands based in Brussels, the Duke of Mantua and Marie de Medici, Queen of France. It was undoubtedly in the paintings of the Dutch school that the consequences of the political emancipation of the region, as well as the economic prosperity of the liberal bourgeoisie, were most overtly manifested. 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 the material, the sensitivity to the apparently insignificant, meant that the Dutch artist was at one with the reality of everyday life, without seeking any ideal that was 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, masterly technique and a conceptual subtlety in the lyrical treatment of light. As a result 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. Portraits, landscapes and animals, still lifes 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 from almost all social classes and classes of society.

Estim. 15 000 - 16 000 EUR

Lot 137 - Spanish school; first half of the XVII century. "Child Jesus blessing". Polychrome carved wood. Measurements: 74 x 37 x 23 cm. The base that raises the figure has an elaborate decoration based on elements inspired by architecture, with very moving lines that allude to its belonging to the Baroque. The Child is barefoot, resting his feet on a carved cushion. Naked, the Child raises one of his hands in a gesture of blessing, in a subtle way, harmonizing with the gesture of the face. The curly hair brings movement to the face, serene and serious, with his gaze straight ahead and his fine and delicate features. It is a magnificently worked carving at the anatomical level, in a style of transition between the Renaissance and the Baroque, which can be appreciated in the idealization of the canon, its subtle counterpoint, accompanied however by a clear naturalistic interest in the rendering of the flesh tones. Likewise, the child's face, with its large eyes and fleshy lips outlined, is extremely expressive. It is necessary to emphasize, on the one hand, the important polychromy of the sculpture, of the flowery Baroque, and, on the other hand, the resemblance with certain works of the circle of Gaspar Núñez Delgado, sculptor of Avila origin active in Seville, between 1581 and 1606. This type of carvings were very common in churches, convents, monasteries and private chapels, with particular preference for them in the organizations and feminine environments for considering the devotion to the Child a more appropriate one for the feminine gender. Likewise, it was very common to carve Jesus full body nude, allowing him to be dressed with textiles to give greater realism. Spanish Baroque sculpture is one of the most authentic and personal examples of our art, because its conception and 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.

Estim. 19 000 - 20 000 EUR

Lot 138 - JAN VAN BIJLERT (Utrecht, 1598 - 1671). "Portrait of a Lady with Children". Oil on oak panel. Cradled. Measurements: 100 x 80 cm; 127 x 108 cm (frame). The arrangement of the characters in this painting is the usual in the Dutch portraits of the time, with the gaze on the viewer. Following a pyramidal composition the author presents us with a mother in the center of the scene with a Child on her lap and behind them a girl looks at the woman. The author relies on a scene of long tradition in terms of composition, since it shows many similarities with the representations of the Holy Families, starring the Virgin, the Child and St. John. All of them show concentrated and serene faces, typical of the portraits of characters belonging to the wealthy society of the time, a social group enriched by the international trade of the Dutch nation. Formally, it is also worth mentioning the sobriety and balance of the tones used, highlighting only the red touch of the tablecloth, which occupies the visual center of the scene. Dutch Baroque painting from around the time of the Eighty Years' War (1568 - 1648) is known as Dutch Golden Age painting. It shows many characteristics of European Baroque, except, usually, the love of Roman Christian splendor and themes. The large production of the time is striking, whose recipients were the increasingly wealthy urban bourgeoisie, something that goes hand in hand with the proliferation of pictorial genres. It was in the painting of the Dutch school where the consequences of the political emancipation of the region, as well as the economic prosperity of the liberal bourgeoisie, were most openly manifested. 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. Jan Hermansz van Bijlert was a Dutch Golden Age painter from Utrecht, one of the Utrecht Caravaggists, whose style was influenced by Caravaggio. He spent about four years in Italy and was one of the founders of the Bentvueghels circle of Nordic painters in Rome. Jan van Bijlert was born in Utrecht, son of the glassmaker Herman Beernts van Bijlert. It is possible that he received some training from his father. Later he was a pupil of Abraham Bloemaert. Like other Utrecht painters, he traveled through France and Italy. In 1621 he was, along with Cornelis van Poelenburch and Willem Molijn, a founding member of the circle of Dutch and Flemish artists in Rome known as the Bentvueghels. In 1625 he returned to Utrecht, where he married and joined the schutterij. In 1630, he became a member of the Confraternity of St. Luke of Utrecht and the reformed church. From 1632 to 1637 he served as deacon of the guild, and in 1634 he was appointed regent of the Sint-Jobsgasthuis. In 1639 he helped found a school for painters, the "Schilders-College", where he served as regent.

Estim. 26 000 - 27 000 EUR

Lot 139 - Spanish school; mid-17th century. "Christ crucified". Oil on panel. Measurements: 44 x 28 cm. This representation of the Crucified Christ follows the precepts of the cell crosses, of the type that was placed inside the monks' cells. As is usual for this type and time, the cross is of rectilinear sections, unadorned and worked in an illusionist manner, with a typically Baroque painting of tenebrist light and pathetic expression. Christ appears in the centre, with an expressively deformed anatomy that denotes the survival of Mannerism even in the 17th century. The lighting is halfway between Baroque tenebrism and the artificial light of Mannerism, and in any case creates an illusionist play that is very much in keeping with Baroque sensibility. At his feet we see a representation of Adam's skull. Cell crosses are a very common type of devotional work in Spanish and Latin American convents and monasteries in the 17th and 18th centuries. However, it is not common for them to contain the signature of their author, as is the case here. The crucifixion of Christ is the central theme of Christian iconography and especially of Catholic iconography. Christ was subjected to the suffering that befell slaves who were fugitives or in rebellion, a condemnation that was essentially Roman but of Persian origin. This episode in the life of Christ is the most strictly proven historical fact and is also the main argument for the redemption of Christian doctrine: the blood of God incarnate as man is shed for the redemption of all sins. The representation of the crucifixion has undergone an evolution parallel to the liturgical and theological variations of Catholic doctrine in which we would like to point out three milestones: at first early Christian 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 11th century Christ was represented crucified but alive and triumphant, with his eyes open, in accordance with the Byzantine rite, which did not consider the possibility of the existence of Christ's corpse. Later, under the theological consideration that the death of the Saviour is not due to an organic process but to an act of divine will, Christ is represented, on many occasions, already dead with his eyes closed and his head fallen on his right shoulder, showing the sufferings of the passion, provoking commiseration, as is 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. 1 200 - 1 400 EUR

Lot 140 - Spanish school; 17th century. "The animas in purgatory". Carved and polychrome wood. They present restorations as Repainting, lacking in the carving and damage caused by xylophages. Measurements: 106 x 44 x 20 cm; 101 x 29 x 16 cm. The subject and the support of this set indicate that, originally, it was part of a larger sculptural set, probably attached to an architecture, since both carvings are worked in high relief and the back is devoid of any ornamentation. The set of these two reliefs, although varying in size, presents the same concept, the souls burning in flames and begging for forgiveness. It would be an abstraction that tries to symbolize the Purgatory, a representation that reached great popularity during the baroque period. As for the carving, it is worth mentioning the play of volumes that is generated based on planes and the verticality of each of the carvings. In the first place, the waving flames, in second place a figure that joins his hands in an attitude of piety and finally, another figure with his arms raised. It is the artist's own technique that infuses drama to the two pieces, the waves of the flames that grow to the chest of the upper figures, the winding hair of the protagonists, the way in which he captures the gestures individualizing each of the characters, are aesthetic features that reveal the mastery of the author. Spanish sculpture is one of the most authentic and personal examples of our art, because its conception and form of expression emerged 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, 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. They present restorations as repainting, missing carvings and damage caused by xylophagous.

Estim. 3 000 - 3 500 EUR

Lot 141 - Italian school; 18th century. "Classical warrior". Oil on canvas. Antique re-colouring. It conserves frame of epoch. Measurements: 75 x 59,5 cm; 86 x 70 cm (frame). Portrait in which it is presented a young man with a long bust immersed in a landscape. The figure stands out for its monumentality, which is due not only to its dimensions but also to its clothing, as it is dressed in military attire. Portraiture was one of the most original and characteristic manifestations of Roman art. The origin of the Roman portrait appears to be linked more to a concept than to an artistic expression, and reflects the vital philosophy of that people like no other artistic genre. In its formation it is possible to detect three roots: Etruscan-Italic, Greek and the indigenous trend of the "maiorum imagines" or funerary masks. The combination of all of them will result in an unmistakable and genuine work. This aesthetic tradition continued from the Renaissance onwards, when a process of reinterpretation of classical texts and, of course, works of art began, which exerted a great influence both technically, formally and thematically. As in the rest of Europe, during this period portraiture became the leading genre par excellence in Italian painting as a consequence of the new social structures that were established in the Western world during this century, embodying the ultimate expression of the transformation in the taste and mentality of the new clientele that emerged among the nobility and the wealthy gentry, who were to take the reins of history in this period. While official circles gave precedence to other artistic genres, such as history painting, and the incipient collectors encouraged the profusion of genre paintings, portraits were in great demand for paintings intended for the more private sphere, as a reflection of the value of the individual in the new society. This genre embodies the permanent presence of the image of its protagonists, to be enjoyed in the privacy of a studio, in the everyday warmth of a family cabinet or presiding over the main rooms of the house.

Estim. 1 300 - 1 500 EUR

Lot 142 - Follower of JACOPO BASSANO (Bassano del Grappa, Italy, ca. 1510 - 1592); 17th century. "Allegory of Winter". Oil on canvas. Re-coloured. It has a 20th century frame with faults. Measurements: 95 x 134 cm; 116 x 155 cm (frame). In this image of costumbrista character the author presents us a group of people concentrated in different tasks. The author structures the image in different planes, most of them populated by characters; some of them eat, another one cuts firewood, some of them seem to be talking and at the end others are warming themselves by the fire. In the last shot we can see the mountains that close the scene, completely covered in snow. This feature, together with the fact that the pig is being slaughtered, indicates that the artist was attempting to depict winter not only through the snow but also through the actions of the figures. Jacopo Bassano was one of the great masters of Venetian painting, the son and father of painters, and specialised in works, both secular and religious, full of characters and animals of a genre of genre painting, heralding the creation of this genre in the following century. He was already highly esteemed in his day for his precision and taste for detail in depicting characters, animals and settings. His first dated work dates from 1528 and around 1533 he was already in Venice, where he began to use engravings by Titian, Dürer, Agostino Veneziano and Marcantonio Raimondi for his compositions, interpreting them in his own personal style. The following year he gained access to a more powerful and wealthy clientele through Andrea Navagero, at which point his work began to be more influenced by Raphael, and he moved towards a style closer to Parmigianino and Moretto around 1540.

Estim. 1 500 - 1 800 EUR

Lot 143 - Spanish school; 17th century. "The Scourging of Jesus". Oil on canvas. It presents faults and repainting. Measurements: 155 x 109 cm; 173 x 125 cm (frame). This canvas deals with the theme of the flagellation of Christ, developing in a complex architectural space, opening to different levels through windows and balconies. Thus, following a compositional scheme in the Italian tradition, the Flemish influence can also be seen in the spatial concept, but also in the proximity to local developments. Christ, tied to a low column, is being scourged by several henchmen, whose movement has been frozen in aggressive and inclement gestures. Inner light seems to emanate from Jesus' anatomy, his whiteness being a transcript of the purity of his soul, in contrast to the dark flesh of the executioners. The narrative of the scene unfolds on different planes, as the gazes and expressive grammar of each character reveal their thoughts in the face of the injustice they are witnessing. In terms of iconography, all four Gospels mention the punishment suffered by Christ at this moment, although they make no reference to any pillar: this iconography arises from the word "chastisement" used by Luke, and was known as a moment prior to the Crucifixion in the words of Josephus, for example. Throughout the Middle Ages the column venerated in Jerusalem was used for these representations, characterised by its height. There is another typology, however, which closely follows the model of the relic preserved in Santa Praxedes in Rome since 1233 and which the Council of Trent was responsible for recovering for art, characterised precisely by the marble in which it is made and by its low height. This model of column, which does not deny the previous one as theologians recognise two moments in which Christ was flaged, was used in art from the end of the 16th century, coexisting with the high one, and spread rapidly throughout Europe.

Estim. 1 500 - 2 000 EUR

Lot 144 - Andalusian school after BARTOLOME ESTEBAN MURILLO (Seville, 1617 - 1682); 18th century. "Saint Joseph with Child". Oil on canvas. It presents faults in the pictorial surface. Size: 109 x 83 cm; 126 x 100 cm (frame). The canvas now on auction has similarities with the painting of the same subject "Saint Joseph with the Child", attributed to Murillo's workshop, which is in the Lázaro Galdiano Museum in Madrid. Both depict a half-bust Saint Joseph, identified by the flowering rod, with the Child on his lap, in a family scene full of tenderness. This image was much repeated by the master Murillo, who managed to create a personal aesthetic pattern of great influence and iconographic relevance. Until the Counter-Reformation, it was common for the figure of Saint Joseph to remain in the background, as no theological importance was attached to him. After Trent, however, his leading role as the protector of Jesus during his childhood and as a guide during his youth was recovered, and he is depicted here as such. In contrast to the tenderness, defencelessness and candour of the infant figure, Saint Joseph is presented as a monumental, typically Baroque figure, an impression that is reinforced by the pyramidal composition. Through this form of representation, the author visually emphasises the decisive role of Jesus' putative father as protector.

Estim. 1 000 - 1 200 EUR

Lot 145 - Spanish school; 19th century. "Holy Family of the Little Bird". Oil on canvas. It presents faults, losses and perforations. Measurements: 145 x 185 cm; 153 x 195 cm (frame). In this work we can see how the author has made a copy of the Holy Family of the little bird by Murillo, located in the Prado Museum. The artist has captured the precise, firm drawing, the nuances of its chromatic tones, still severe, and the tenebrist lighting used by Murillo. However, in this case the brushstrokes are looser and more sketchy, which is a far cry from the original piece and makes this replica a new work which the artist has used to practice and develop his artistic technique. The artist depicts Saint Joseph, the Virgin and Child in a domestic setting full of tenderness. The Virgin unravels a skein of thread as she watches her son, leaning on St Joseph, play, showing a bird to a little white dog. Saint Joseph acquires a new prominence in this work, which reflects the increase in devotion to him during the Counter-Reformation. The apparently simple composition emphasises domestic life, family and work, symbolised by Joseph's carpenter's bench and the Virgin engaged in sewing. The intense chiaroscuro lighting reflects the influence of Italian painting and is characteristic of many Spanish Baroque painters. It is likely that this painting was made by one of the Prado's copyists. In its rooms, a multitude of future artists have traditionally had the opportunity to learn by copying the works of the great masters. Despite being a very common practice during the 19th and early 20th centuries, today the Prado Museum is the only museum in the capital that admits copyists on a reduced scale so that they do not interrupt the flow of visitors.

Estim. 2 000 - 2 500 EUR

Lot 146 - Spanish school; second half of the 18th century. "Penitent Magdalene". Oil on canvas. It presents faults in the pictorial surface. Measurements: 91 x 141 cm; 98 x 148 cm (frame). Mary Magdalene is mentioned in the New Testament as a distinguished disciple of Christ. According to the Gospels, she housed and provided materially for Jesus and his disciples during their stay in Galilee, and was present at the Crucifixion. She was a witness to the Resurrection, as well as the one in charge of transmitting the news to the apostles. She is also identified with the woman who anointed the feet of Jesus with perfumes before his arrival in Jerusalem, which is why her main iconographic attribute is a knob of essences, like the one shown here. Alone, Mary Magdalene is usually depicted as here, doing penance in the desert, repentant for her past sins, meditating on the Holy Scriptures. The story of this saint serves as an example of Christ's forgiveness, and conveys the message of the possibility of redemption of the soul through repentance and faith.

Estim. 1 200 - 1 500 EUR

Lot 147 - Italian school of the second half of the 17th century. "The Preaching of Jean-Baptiste". Oil on canvas. Relined. Size: 90 x 63 cm; 109 x 81 cm (frame). In this work the painter narrates a biblical episode: the preaching of Saint John the Baptist in the desert. When the saint went out to preach, he chose the Palestinian desert, an uninhabited place to which crowds flocked, as the Gospel narrates: "crowds came to him from all the region of Judea, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and were baptised by him, confessing their sins" (Mk. 1:5). John turned the desert (which was not a dry plain but a wild and uninhabited area) into a hive of people, who came from all over to hear his message, confess their sins and change their lives. St. John chose this enclave precisely because it was the same place where General Joshua, centuries earlier, had entered with the people of Israel to seize the Promised Land and inaugurate a new age of splendour (Jos. 4:13,19). This scene depicts St. John the Baptist preaching in the Palestinian desert. Alongside him, the inhabitants of Judea are represented as coming before him to listen to him and be baptised. John the Baptist is depicted with his staff adorned with phylactelia. The disciples and listeners exchange impressions among themselves, showing a variety of attitudes to John's words. The way in which the figures have been portrayed, with their volumetric musculature and classically inspired clothing, brings us closer to the aesthetic precepts of the Italian school. The Gospels say of John the Baptist that he was the son of the priest Zechariah and Elizabeth, cousin of the Virgin Mary. He retired at a very young age to the Judean desert to lead an ascetic life and preach penance, and recognised in Jesus, who was baptised by him, the Messiah foretold by the prophets. A year after Christ's baptism, in the year 29, John was arrested and imprisoned by the tetrarch of Galilee Herod Antipas, whose marriage to Herodias, his niece and sister-in-law, he had dared to censure. Finally St. John was beheaded, and his head given to Salome as a reward for his beautiful dances. This saint appears in Christian art in two different guises: as a child, a playmate of Jesus, and as an adult, an ascetic preacher. The adult Saint John depicted here is dressed in Eastern art in a camel-skin sackcloth, which in the West was replaced by a sheepskin that leaves his arms, legs and part of his torso bare. The red cloak he wears at times, as well as in the scene of his intercession at the Last Judgement, alludes to his martyrdom. In Byzantine art he is depicted as a large-winged angel, with his severed head on a tray held in his hands. However, his attributes in Western art are very different. The most frequent is a lamb, which alludes to Jesus Christ, and he often carries a cross of reeds with a phylactery with the inscription "Ecce Agnus Dei". Spanish school; late 18th century.

Estim. 1 200 - 1 400 EUR

Lot 148 - Spanish or Italian school; 18th century. "Joseph sold by his brothers". Oil on canvas. Preserves original canvas. It has a period frame. Measurements: 132 x 141 cm; 150 x 159 cm (frame). The artist of this work plays with the ambiguity of the subject, since he offers us at first sight a meeting between a great number of men, and a young man who carries the tunic towards his eyes in such a way that he seems to cry. The scene, which seems to be based on genre painting, is in fact a devotional work depicting the passage from Genesis that alludes to the sale of Joseph by his brothers, who envied him because of the predilection their father Jacob had for him. The author has portrayed a specific moment, the most dramatic and prominent in the story, as one of Joseph's brothers points to the well where they originally intended to leave him. Despite the intensity of the subject matter, the artist presents us with a cheerfully colourful image dominated by an aesthetic that is close to Italian classicism, in which large figures are set against a peaceful landscape of golden sky.

Estim. 1 800 - 2 000 EUR

Lot 149 - Spanish school; second quarter of the 17th century. "Virgin of silence". Oil on canvas. Re-drawn. It presents faults and restorations. Measurements: 106 x 81 cm; 117 x 94 cm (frame). The iconographic theme is the contemplation of the child who is sleeping while his mother, the Virgin, adores him. It is the combination of the concepts of mother and son in a natural and tender attitude, as well as the mother of God observing the divine and transcendental character of her son. The painter offers us a scene with a very long tradition in the Christian West, worked with subtle gradations of half-tones. Since the end of the Middle Ages artists have insisted on depicting, in an increasingly intense manner, the bond of affection that united Christ with his Mother and the close relationship between them, and this was encouraged in the Renaissance and, naturally, in the Baroque period, when the exacerbation of emotions characterised a large part of artistic production. This characteristic became increasingly common over the centuries.

Estim. 1 400 - 1 600 EUR

Lot 150 - Spanish or Italian school, after JACOPO BASSANO (Bassano del Grappa, Italy, ca. 1510 - 1592); 17th century. "Allegory of Winter". Oil on canvas. Re-coloured. Size: 95 x 133 cm; 116 x 154 cm (frame). In this image of costumbrista character the author presents us a group of people concentrated in different tasks. The author structures the image in different planes, most of them populated by characters; some eat, others cut firewood, some seem to be talking and at the end others are warming themselves by the fire. In the last shot we can see the mountains that close the scene, completely covered in snow. This feature, together with the fact that the pig is being slaughtered, indicates that the author is trying to represent winter, not only through the snow, but also through the actions of the characters. This type of allegorical genre depiction, with the representation of the different works of the different seasons of the year, already existed in the Middle Ages, although in the Baroque period it was taken up again with a new genre vision that emphasised the values of genre painting and left the allegorical character in the background. Jacopo Bassano was a true pioneer in this field, as he was in fact a pioneer of genre painting in general. Thus, in the 16th century he painted works such as the one we present here, which are clearly genre paintings with a scenographic character in their composition, thus advancing Baroque genre painting by almost a century. Jacopo Bassano was one of the great masters of Venetian painting, the son and father of painters who specialised in works, both secular and religious, full of costumbrista characters and animals, heralding the creation of this genre in the following century. He was already highly esteemed in his day for his precision and taste for detail in depicting characters, animals and settings. His first dated work dates from 1528 and around 1533 he was already in Venice, where he began to use engravings by Titian, Dürer, Agostino Veneziano and Marcantonio Raimondi for his compositions, interpreting them in his own personal style. The following year he gained access to a more powerful and wealthy clientele through Andrea Navagero, at which point his work began to be more influenced by Raphael, and he moved towards a style closer to Parmigianino and Moretto around 1540.

Estim. 1 400 - 1 600 EUR

Lot 151 - Workshop of LUIS DE MORALES "El divino" (Badajoz, 1509 - Alcántara, 1586). "Ecce Homo". Oil on canvas adhered to panel. It has additions in the margins and restorations on the pictorial surface. Measurements: 69 x 51 cm; 83 x 66 cm (frame). The devotional intensity of this piece is defined by the sobriety of the artist who reduces the subject to the essential elements to be able to transmit the Christian faith. The half-length Christ in the foreground, against a dark background, is illuminated with a lighting that is based on the precepts of a tenebrist, artificial and directed light. The aforementioned sober, clear composition lends great expressivity to the image, which is intended to move the soul of the faithful, thus indicating that this painting is probably a work intended for private devotion. Painting was thus obliged to express the ideals prevailing in these circles, and religious themes were therefore the preferred subject matter in Spanish painting of this period. The theme of Ecce Homo belongs to the Passion cycle and immediately precedes the episode of the Crucifixion. The words "Ecce Homo" are those pronounced by Pilate when presenting Christ to the crowd; their translation is "behold the man", a phrase by which he mocks Jesus and implies that Christ's power was not so great as that of the rulers who were judging him. Due to its technical characteristics, the work is close to the aesthetic postulates of Luis de Morales. A painter of great quality and marked personality, perhaps the best of the Spanish painters of the second half of the 16th century, with the exception of El Greco. His training poses serious problems, although Palomino makes him a disciple of the Flemish painter Pedro de Campaña, who lived in Seville between 1537 and 1563. Certainly the meticulousness and detail of his brushstrokes and the conception of the landscape are Flemish in origin, and most of his iconic themes are of late medieval tradition. But he painted human types and used a colouring and sfumato related to the Lombard tradition of a Bernardino Luini and a Cristoforo Solario, whom he probably met not on a trip to Italy but possibly to Valencia, in order to catch up with the novelties brought by the Leonardesque Fernando Yáñez and Fernando de Llanos and the Raphaelesque Vicente and Juan Masip. However, the most personal aspect of his painting lies in the tormented, almost hysterical atmosphere in which his figures breathe, more focused on an intense inner life than on action, full of melancholy and ascetic renunciation and characteristic of the climate of tense religiosity imposed in 16th-century Spain by the reform movements, from the less orthodox Erasmianism and Alumbradism to the more genuine mysticism and Trentism. Morales, called the Divine by his first biographer, Antonio Palomino, because he painted only religious subjects with great delicacy and subtlety, reached his peak from 1550 to 1570, when he painted numerous altarpieces, He painted numerous altarpieces, triptychs and isolated canvases that were widely distributed because they satisfied the popular religiosity of the time, although some of his canvases contain quotations and information of literary erudition, the result of his contact with enlightened clients, primarily the bishops of the diocese of Badajoz, in whose service he worked. On the other hand, his presence in the monastery of El Escorial, called by Philip II, is not documented, although it seems that the latter acquired some of his works to give them as gifts. The enormous production and the continuous demand for his most frequent and popular iconographic themes obliged him to maintain a large workshop in which his two sons, Cristóbal and Jerónimo, collaborated; a workshop responsible for many copies that circulate and are still considered to be Morales's autograph works.

Estim. 7 000 - 8 000 EUR

Lot 152 - Andalusian school; 19th century. "Immaculate Conception". Oil on canvas. It presents important faults in the pictorial surface. Measurements: 196 x 147 cm; 206 x 162 cm (frame). Devotional image whose protagonist is the Virgin, represented as Immaculate, or Immaculate Conception. Medieval Christianity passionately debated the belief that Mary had been conceived without the stain of original sin. Some universities and corporations swore 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 arose to give iconographic form to this idea, and the model of the Apocalyptic Woman of Saint 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. Following a Valencian tradition, the Jesuit Father Alberro had a vision of the Immaculate Conception and described it to the painter Juan de Juanes so that he could depict it as faithfully as possible. It is an evolved iconographic concept, sometimes associated with the theme of the Coronation of the Virgin. Mary is shown standing, dressed in a white tunic and blue cloak, her hands crossed on her chest, with the moon at her feet (in memory of Diana's chastity) and treading on the infernal serpent (symbol of her victory over Original Sin). Around his head, like a halo, he wears the twelve stars, symbolic of fullness and alluding to the twelve tribes of Israel. Most of these images are accompanied in the painting by the Marian symbols of the litanies and psalms, such as the mystical rose, the palm tree, the cypress, the enclosed garden, the ark of Faith, the gate of Heaven, the ivory tower, the sun and moon, the sealed fountain, the cedar of Lebanon, the spotless mirror, the morning star, and so on.

Estim. 2 000 - 2 500 EUR

Lot 153 - Spanish Mannerist school; towards the second half of the 16th century. "Quo vadis". Oil on panel. Engatillada. Measurements: 123 x 79 cm. This work represents one of the best known and most represented scenes from the life of St. Peter, although it is based on non-canonical textual sources. The apocryphal text known as the Acts of Peter, probably written in Greek around the 2nd century, tells how, in the midst of Nero's persecution, the apostle, frightened, decides to flee Rome and escapes along the Appian Way. On leaving Rome, Jesus appears to him, carrying a cross. Peter then questions Christ with the well-known phrase "Quo vadis, domine?", literally "Where are you going, Lord?", to which Jesus replies that, as Peter flees, refusing martyrdom, he has decided to take it up again, and sets off for Rome, to be crucified a second time. Christ's sacrifice then shames Peter, who returns to Rome and assumes his martyrdom, which will certainly be crucifixion, but face down, so as not to be on a par with his master. In the scene, the apostle and Christ are in the foreground, facing the viewer. Peter's gesture is one of surprise at the appearance of Jesus, while the latter, dressed entirely in white, as is customary in the apparitions after the Ascension, resignedly carries the great cross of his martyrdom. Behind the two figures is a large panoramic landscape in Flemish style. The ensemble must have been of considerable size, as the present piece must have occupied one of the "streets" or side sections, probably accompanied by other narrative scenes flanking a central image of St. Peter enthroned or, perhaps, a carving of the saint. It is likely that the original altarpiece would have occupied the main altar of a parish church. Both the treatment of the landscape and that of the clothing, with abundant folds with a rigid, "starched" appearance, indicate the assumption and adaptation of the contributions of Spanish Mannerist painting.

Estim. 6 000 - 7 000 EUR

Lot 154 - Spanish school of the 17th century. Circle of JUAN DE ARELLANO (Santorcaz, 1614-Madrid, 1676). "Vase". Oil on canvas. Original canvas and stretcher frame. Measurements: 43 x 33,5 cm. Still life of flowers perfectly framed within the full Spanish baroque, with a magnificent treatment of the qualities, the colors and, especially, the effective tenebrist illumination, which gives the flowers a presence and a three-dimensional aspect. The flowers, worked in shades of red, blue and white, emerge from the half-light in a glass vase, worked with great skill. The skill in the treatment of the piece allows us to relate it to the prolific Juan de Arellano, an artist specialized mainly in flower paintings, who achieved great skill in composing, with a contrasting palette, sensual bouquets in a language fully inscribed in the Spanish Baroque. After a first stage dedicated to religious painting, Juan de Arellano decided to abandon the figure to specialize in the floral genre. In this sense, it is necessary to transcribe the response that the biographer and theorist. Palomino put in his mouth when asked about his almost exclusive dedication to flower painting: "Because in this I work less and earn more". Palomino also reports his possible stay in Alcalá de Henares before arriving in Madrid to work in the workshop of Juan de Solís. Arellano must have perceived the success that flower painting could have at the court, where the market of fans of this genre was largely nourished through imports. In his works we can intuit the overcoming of the tradition of Juan van der Hamen -continued by his pupil Antonio Ponce, in a more formal and rigid way-, transmuted in a direction of greater baroque complication. He received his first influences from Flemish examples, especially from Daniel Seghers, thanks to which he was able to endow his works with a meticulous and precious technique that he always kept. In addition, he copied abundantly the works of the Roman Mario Nuzzi, known as Mario dei Fiori, one of the best definers of the genre and well known in Spain. From him he took a more lively formulation in the strokes that led him in the profuse and exuberant direction already mentioned. We know that he opened a store in the center of Madrid: already in 1646 he had one in Atocha Street. It became one of the most important in the capital, where his works were known and acquired by a large number of nobles, as is shown in the abundant inventories preserved. In his workshop, in addition to flower paintings, there was room for other genres such as still lifes, portraits, landscapes, allegorical and religious themes. It is known that he collaborated with other artists who painted the figures that Arellano surrounded with his floral compositions, such as Francisco Camilo and Mateo Cerezo. Among his disciples is his son José, who repeats his father's models with a less refined technique that shows a certain dryness and a more muted chromatism. His son-in-law Bartolomé Pérez de la Dehesa, who inherited his sensual interpretation of nature and applied it to more tranquil compositions, continued his still lifes of flowers. However, in technique he is closer to Italian painters. The Prado Museum holds up to eleven canvases by Juan de Arellano. Most of them come from royal collections, and also from the legacy of Xavier Laffite and the donation of the widowed countess of Moriles. Of the works in the Prado, Bodegón de frutas is an exception to the author's specialty, the painting of flowers.

Estim. 4 000 - 5 000 EUR

Lot 155 - Lombard school; second third of the 17th century. "Martyrdom of St. Peter of Verona". Oil on canvas. Measurements: 222 x 157 cm. The dramatism that can be appreciated in the treatment of the sky and the chromatic game made up of iridescent tones that generate wide contrasts indicate that the work possibly belongs to the second third of the 17th century. The scene, which is conceived on the basis of a simple and clear composition, represents the martyrdom of Saint Peter of Verona. Aesthetically the work is close to the painting of Francesco Nuvolone (Milan, 1609-1662). Milanese painting revived thanks to local collaboration, linked to the late Lombard Renaissance, with artists coming from other localities, especially Cremona, where Carlo Francesco Nuvolone's father was from. The activity of the Accademia Ambrosiana thus consolidated a particular and idiosyncratic style. The interest in Mannerism was abandoned in favour of a Baroque art with a strong interest in capturing dynamism, which in many cases advocated narrativity. Saint Peter of Verona (Italy, 1205-1252), a Dominican martyr born into a family that followed the Cathar heresy. At the age of sixteen, fascinated by the words of Saint Dominic of Guzman, he received the Dominican habit from his own hands. When he finished his ecclesiastical training, Peter was appointed preacher of the Gospel of Jesus to the Italian Cathars, a task he carried out with piety and austerity, achieving great fame throughout Italy. One day, the holy martyrs Agnes, Cecilia and Catherine appeared in his cell and he was reprimanded for having violated the enclosure by welcoming women into his cell. The saint did not defend himself and acknowledged that he was a sinner and was punished. In the solitude of his punishment he intensified his study and prayer, and one day he unburdened himself in front of a crucifix, asking "What evil have I done, Lord, to see myself as I am? Christ then consoles and comforts him with these words, "And I, Peter, what evil have I done?". At last the truth triumphs and he is appointed Inquisitor General by Pope Gregory IX, allowing him to continue his evangelising work in Rome, Florence and Milan. He was finally killed while crossing the Barlassina forest on his way back to Milan. His murderer struck him with an axe in the back of the head and stabbed him in the chest, weapons that often appear in pictorial representations of the saint. The crime was plotted by the heretic bishop Daniele da Giussano, who had paid the murderer 40 Milanese pounds, making his death an echo of that of Christ.

Estim. 3 500 - 4 000 EUR

Lot 156 - Venetian school of the late 16th-early 17th century. "Christ tied to the column". Oil on canvas. Relined. Measurements: 117,5 x 79 cm; 130 x 93 cm (frame). Christ on the column or Christ tied to the column is an evangelical scene and a very frequent iconographic theme in Christian art, within the cycle of the Passion. The scene takes place in the Praetorium in Jerusalem, the centre of Roman power, directed by Pontius Pilate, where Jesus Christ arrived for the second and last time, after passing through different instances (Annas, Caiaphas and Herod). In this biblical episode, Christ is exhibited before the one who preferred to free Barabbas rather than him. He is stripped of his clothes and tied to a pillar, where he is subjected to mockery and torture, including the scourging and the crowning with thorns, iconographic denominations which are sometimes totally identifiable with this one and sometimes precisely differentiated. Stylistically, this work can be related to the characteristics of the Venetian school, as it largely follows the stylistic patterns set by Paolo Veronese. The style of the work is characterised by luxury, the classical architecture that frames the scene and the rich yet soft colouring through cool, light tones: grey, silver, blues and yellows. The costumes are lavish and the atmosphere sumptuous, populated by a multitude of characters in grandiloquent settings, although always of great quality and perfectly capturing the personality of the different models. In his painting we can observe a certain tendency towards decorativism and freedom of composition to a greater degree, using a light impasto technique, which allows for innumerable transparencies. He showed a great interest in the perfection of the drawing.

Estim. 2 500 - 3 000 EUR

Lot 157 - Spanish or Italian school; 17th century. "Saint Francis of Paula". Oil on canvas. Size: 29 x 23 cm; 37 x 31 cm (frame). Saint Francis of Paula (1416-1507) was an Italian hermit, founder of the Order of the Minims. At a very young age he began his life as a hermit on the outskirts of his native town of Paula. He gradually gained fame for his miracles, and by around 1450 there was already a group of followers around him. 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 carried out some diplomatic work on behalf of the Holy See, while at the same time trying to obtain its approval for a Rule for his congregation, which he finally achieved in 1493. Until his death, Francis of Paola enjoyed the support and protection of the French monarchs, and a few years after his death, processes for his canonisation were initiated in Calabria, Tourse and Amiens, in which numerous witnesses to his life and miracles testified. He was finally beatified in 1513 and canonised 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 who was a contemporary of Francis of Paola. In it, the saint is depicted in the habit, an old man with a grave face and a bushy grey beard, leaning on a simple staff.

Estim. 1 100 - 1 300 EUR

Lot 158 - Circle by JEAN RAOUX (Montpellier, 1677-Paris, 1734). "Vestals. Oil on canvas. Re-coloured. It presents restorations. Size: 114 x 146 cm; 130 x 161 cm (frame). Image of historicist theme that represents a group of vestals as a group of beautiful and elegant young women, dressed with a mantle full of folds to avoid the rigidity. The young women stand next to the altar on which an incipient fire can be seen, the warmth of which harmonises with the gilding of the bronze figure in the background. Faithful to history, the artist recreates the interior of a temple that is open to the outside, revealing its round floor plan. From the Renaissance onwards, it was common to depict vestals, priestesses dedicated to the worship of the goddess Vesta. Aesthetically the work is close to the painting of the artist Jean Raoux who, after the usual training course, became a member of the Academy in 1717 as a historical painter. His reputation had previously been established by the acclaimed decorations executed during his three years in Italy in the palace of Giustiniani Solini in Venice, and by easel paintings, the Four Ages of Man (National Gallery), commissioned by the Grand Prior of Vendôme. Raoux devoted himself to the latter type of subject, refusing to paint portraits except in character. The list of his works is a long series of sets of the Seasons, of the Hours, of the Elements, or of those scenes of fun and gallantry in whose representation he was vastly surpassed by his young rival Watteau. After his stay in England (1720) he spent much of his life at the Temple, where he decorated several rooms. He died in Paris in 1734. His best pupils were Chevalier and Montdidier. His works were much recorded by Poilly, Moyreau, Dupuis, etc.

Estim. 4 000 - 4 500 EUR

Lot 159 - Sevillian school; second half of the 17th century. "Pietà". Oil on canvas. Relined. Measurements: 94 x 145 cm; 160 x 110 cm (frame). In this work of landscape format the author represents the Pietà, placing the Virgin and the body of Jesus in the centre of the triangular composition. The artist has arranged a vertical line constructed by the Virgin's face and accentuated by the profile of Christ's body, in opposition to the horizontal line of the Virgin's arms, which give the scene a great sense of stability and introduce the other figures in the scene. Christ's anatomy, which is perfectly described and classicised, is no doubt derived from observation from life, while the postures of the other figures give the piece a sense of theatricality. The work is enveloped in a pronounced darkness in relation to the drama of the scene, leaving visible only an unreal luminosity emanating from the bodies and flesh tones, especially the body of Christ and Nicodemus, who wears a red tunic that adds warmth to the scene. It is important to point out that iconographically this work is situated between the usual representation of the Pieta and the burial of Christ, in such a way that the artist has enriched the scene in a completely personal and narrative way. The iconography of the Pietà arises from a gradual evolution of five centuries and, according to Panofsky, derives from the theme of the Byzantine Threnos, the lamentation of the Virgin over the dead body of Jesus, as well as from the Virgin of Humility. The first artists to see the possibilities of this theme were German sculptors, the first surviving example being found in the city of Coburg, a piece from around 1320. Over time the iconography spread throughout Europe and in the 17th century, after the Counter-Reformation, it became one of the most important themes in devotional painting. The 17th century saw the arrival of the Baroque in the Sevillian school, with the triumph of naturalism over Mannerist idealism, a loose style and many other aesthetic liberties. At this time the school reached its greatest splendour, both in terms of the quality of its works and the primordial status of Sevillian Baroque painting. Thus, during the transition to the Baroque which later laid its foundations during the 18th century. This was due to the greatness that Seville achieved due to its strategic position as the main port of the Indies. The transit of goods from America not only enriched the city, but also made it one of the most cosmopolitan cities of the time.

Estim. 1 300 - 1 500 EUR

Lot 160 - Following VELÁZQUEZ models; XIX century. "Infante Baltasar Carlos on Horseback". Oil on canvas. Presents restorations and patches on the back. Measures: 85 x 70.5 cm; 94.5 x 81.5 cm (frame).

Estim. 1 200 - 1 400 EUR

Lot 161 - German school; 15th century. "Memento Mori". Polychrome carved wood. Presents restorations. Measurements: 17 x 36 x 12 cm. Round sculpture in which we can appreciate the figure of a small child with delicate and rounded volumes, leaning on a skull. The author manages to create a great impact on the spectator by combining the presence of an infant with that of the skull, which represents death. Thus showing a sculpture in which the concept of life, which sleeps peacefully resting on death without being aware of it, and how danger lurks from the earliest childhood, come together. This sculpture is part of the genre of vanities, which was so important to him. The transience of life was one of the themes that most preoccupied Baroque artists. Vanities denounced the relativity of knowledge and the vanity of the human race subject to the passage of time and death. Its title and conception are related to a passage from Ecclesiastes: "vanitas vanitatum omnia vanitas" ("vanity of vanities, all is vanity"). As in the rest of Europe, sculpture played an important role in Germany during the 17th century. It appeared in public spaces, in palaces and private residences, in churches and cathedrals, government buildings, etc., and also reflected a wide variety of subjects, ranging from traditional religious, mythological and historical heroes to famous people, statesmen, etc. Formally, these are works of very free compositions, always marked by their dynamism and by a marked tendency towards instability in the representation, in keeping with the taste for the curved line that is so typically Baroque. For this reason, the figures, as we can see here, are characterised by wide folds, gestures or theatrical compositions, a break with compositional frontality, dynamic lines determined by anatomy and movement, etc.

Estim. 5 000 - 6 000 EUR

Lot 162 - Italian school; 18th century. "Martyrdom of Saint Peter Arbués". Oil on canvas. Re-tinted. It presents restorations. It conserves its period frame. Measurements: 65 x 49 cm; 81 x 64 cm (frame). Pedro de Arbués, also known as Pedro de Arbués (c. 1441 - 17 September 1485) was a Spanish Roman Catholic priest and professed Augustinian canon. He served as an officer of the Spanish Inquisition until he was murdered in the Cathedral of La Seo in Zaragoza in 1485 allegedly by Jews and converts. Veneration for him came quickly through popular acclaim. His death greatly aided Inquisitor General Tomás de Torquemada's campaign against heretics and Jews. Pedro de Arbués was born in Épila in the region of Zaragoza, studied philosophy perhaps in Huesca but then travelled to Bologna on a scholarship to the Spanish College of San Clemente which was part of the college of Bologna. He obtained his doctorate in 1473 while serving as a professor of moral or ethical philosophy studies. On his return to Spain he became a member of the cathedral chapter of canons regular at La Seo where he made his religious profession in 1474. Around this time, Ferdinand and Isabella had obtained from Pope Sixtus IV a papal bull to establish in their kingdom a tribunal to search for heretics, the Inquisition having been established for the first time in Spain in Aragon, 14th century, to counter the heresy of Catharism. On 14 September 1485, Pedro was attacked in the cathedral while kneeling before the altar and wearing armour because he knew that his work posed great risks. Despite wearing a helmet and chain mail under his tunic, he died of his wounds on 17 September. His remains were buried in a special chapel dedicated to him.

Estim. 1 400 - 1 800 EUR

Lot 163 - Attributed to JUAN DE ANCHIETA (Azpeitia, Guipúzcoa, c. 1540 - Pamplona, 1588). "Saint". Carved and polychrome wood. Presents restorations. Measurements: 95 x 42 x 24 cm. The figure represents the image of a young woman with long hair, symbolizing her virgin condition, covered by the golden mantle. The clothes give it volume not without a certain movement that is generated through the folds of the fabrics. The back of the sculpture is not worked, indicating that it is a sculpture designed to be seen only frontally and probably as part of a larger sculptural group, as was common at the time. Aesthetically, the work shows a great delicacy in the carving of the facial features, which indicates the knowledge of the artist. Due to its style, this work can be attributed to Juan de Anchieta, a baroque sculptor belonging to the Romanist School, a current of Spanish mannerism that shows a marked influence of the Italian authors who worked in Rome, especially Raphael and Michelangelo. The Romanist style is especially characterized by its monumentality and powerful anatomies, features that can be clearly appreciated in this carving. In fact, Juan de Ancheta was probably trained in Italy, given that his style reveals influences from Italian masters, although there is no documentation to support this trip. By 1565 Ancheta was in Valladolid, but shortly thereafter he was in Briviesca, presumably collaborating with Gaspar Becerra on an altarpiece for the church of the convent of Santa Clara. In fact, Ancheta's style shows the influence of Becerra's mannerism, enriched with the classicism of contemporary Roman sculpture. It is believed that the sculptor returned to work with Becerra around 1558, on an altarpiece. It presents restorations.

Estim. 8 000 - 9 000 EUR

Lot 164 - Italian school; 16th century. "Saint Jerome". Earthenware. It has restorations and fractures. Measurements: 22 x 7 x 8 cm. In this sculpture made in clay the author presents us with a devotional image starring the figure of Saint Jerome, devoid of his iconographic attributes such as the feather, the lion, the stone or the cardinal's hat. The artist based the image on the body and its identity. The face, bearded and with long hair, shows an elderly man. However, the torso and legs have a muscular, taut finish to the flesh tones. This idealisation of the body is very much reminiscent of Michelangelo's aesthetic precepts, in fact, the work denotes this stylistic influence, not only in the modelling of the body as already mentioned, but also in the movement of the work, which is evident in the posture adopted by the saint with one leg folded and the other supporting his weight, whose posture folds his belly in a naturalistic manner, thus demonstrating the author's knowledge of human anatomy. Another example of the artist's skill can be seen in the folding of the tunic on the cloak, a work that is maintained in the back of the piece, thus demonstrating a careful technical exercise, even in those areas that are not visible to the viewer. In fact, as can be seen in the centre, the base is attached, indicating that the figure is made to be seen from the front. Saint Jerome was born near Aquileia (Italy) in 347. Trained in Rome, he was an accomplished rhetorician and polyglot. Baptised at the age of nineteen, between 375 and 378 he withdrew to the Syrian desert to lead an anchorite's life. He returned to Rome in 382 and became a collaborator of Pope Damasus. The famous saint is usually depicted inside a cave or in the middle of the desert. In this case he is shown with the sacred scriptures, adopting a meditative gesture, which places the figure within the iconography of the saint's retreat into the desert. The red mantle he wears reflects the tradition that made him a cardinal, and he is depicted writing as an allusion to the saint's translation of the Bible into Latin, which since the Council of Trent has been considered the only official translation.

Estim. 5 000 - 6 000 EUR

Lot 165 - German or French school; XII- XIII centuries. "Christ". Bronze. Partially preserves the gilding. It has faults in the fingers. Measurements: 18 x 16 x 4 cm. Figure in bronze, representing a Christ of three nails, with the head inclined on the arm. The body lacks naturalistic pretensions, as was usual in the devotional art of the Romanesque period . In spite of the fact that due to the period we could find ourselves before a Gothic piece that remains faithful to Romanesque solutions: the body is resolved in a synthetic way, making abstraction of the elemental, magnifying hands and heads for being the parts that are mostly wanted to be shown. A profusion of incisions chisel the body, outlining the ribs, the details of the crown and the cloth, bringing great richness to the bronze. During the Romanesque period, sculpture was most often conceived as part of the architecture, as in the Gothic period. However, there were also examples of free-standing sculpture, the most frequent being the themes of the Crucified and the Virgin and Child (the pantheon of saints was still small). There were two models, the "colobium" and the "perizonium". The first is a Christ nailed to the cross, still alive, with talar tunic and four nails. It is a scarce model, since it was only made in certain European territories (in Spain, only in the crown of Aragon, especially in Catalonia, however always coexisting with the second model). On the other hand, the "perizonium" is also a Christ on the cross with four nails, alive or dead, but dressed with a cloth of purity. Partially preserves the gilding.

Estim. 1 200 - 1 500 EUR

Lot 166 - Italian school; circa 1840. "Annunciation of the Shepherds". Oil on canvas. Preserves its original canvas. It has a frame with slight faults. Measurements: 44,5 x 58,5 cm; 64 x 79 cm (frame). This biblical theme was specially treated from the Renaissance. It represents the apparition of Saint Gabriel to the shepherds at the Birth of the Child Jesus, an episode narrated in the Gospel of Luke. Here, the foreshortened bodies of the peasants have been skilfully modelled with light and line, creating chiaroscuro with cold reflections in contrast to the warmth of the garments and flesh tones. The angel bursts in with a break of glory, announcing the good news. The painting is one of the most authentic and personal examples of our art, because its conception and form of expression arose from the people and their deepest feelings. With the economy of the state in ruins, the nobility in decline and the clergy heavily taxed, it was the monasteries, parishes and confraternities of clerics and laymen who encouraged its development, and the works were sometimes financed by popular subscription. Painting was thus obliged to express the prevailing ideals in these environments, which were none other than religious ones, at a time when Counter-Reformation doctrine demanded a realistic language from art so that the faithful could understand and identify with what was depicted, and an expression endowed with an intense emotional content to increase the fervour and devotion of the people. The religious theme was therefore the subject matter.

Estim. 800 - 1 000 EUR

Lot 167 - School of BARTOLOMÉ ESTEBÁN MURILLO (Seville, 1617 - 1682). "The miracle of the loaves and fishes". Oil on canvas. Measurements: 57 x 131 cm; 64 x 137 cm (frame). This work follows the models of the painting created by the Sevillian master Murillo between 1669-1670. The Miracle of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes is currently housed in the Church and Hospital of Santa Caridad in Seville. The original piece was commissioned by Don Miguel de Mañara. Little is known of Murillo's childhood and youth, except that he lost his father in 1627 and his mother in 1628, which is why he was taken into the care of his brother-in-law. Around 1635 he must have begun his apprenticeship as a painter, most likely with Juan del Castillo, who was married to a cousin of his. This working and artistic relationship lasted about six years, as was customary at the time. After his marriage in 1645 he embarked on what was to be a brilliant career that gradually made him the most famous and sought-after painter in Seville. The only trip he is known to have made is documented in 1658, when Murillo was in Madrid for several months. It is conceivable that while at court he kept in touch with the painters who lived 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 the artists who passed through the court. Despite the few documentary references to his mature years, we know that he enjoyed a comfortable life, which enabled him to maintain a high standard of living and have several apprentices. Having become the leading painter in the city, surpassing even Zurbarán in fame, he was determined to raise the artistic level of local painting. In 1660 he decided, together with Francisco Herrera el Mozo, to found an academy of painting, of which he was the main driving force.

Estim. 900 - 1 000 EUR

Lot 168 - Andalusian school; late 17th century. "Christ with the attributes of the Eucharist". Oil on panel. Measurements: 44 x 21 cm. In this work the author presents us with a glorious image of the figure of Christ. Inscribed in a break of glory, Jesus, situated in the centre of the composition is placed on a big blue orb, which represents the world. With one of his hands he holds the cross, while with the other he holds the symbols of the Eucharist. Within this panorama, the leading role played by the Andalusian school of painting during the period known as the Golden Age is evident; a series of masters of unquestionable worth belong to it, who were able to combine extraordinary technical quality and religious depth in their works, in keeping with the atmosphere of their time, fully in tune with the tastes of the clientele, who were more interested in works with religious themes than in secular commissions, thus marking a substantial difference with respect to the production of other European countries. On the other hand, it is also worth noting that the economic development and the boom that Seville experienced after the Discovery, having become the gateway and port of the Indies, was quickly reflected in art; from the first decades of the century, masters of different origins began to flock to the city in search of the American market and the potential Sevillian clientele, increasingly attracted by the new artistic forms arriving from Italy. Italian, French and Flemish masters, with varying degrees of knowledge of the new aesthetics, alternate with artists from Castile, who have also come into contact with the artistic currents prevailing on the Italian peninsula, thus becoming the most sought-after artists on the art market. The teachings of all of them, together with the classical substratum inherent in Andalusian culture itself, were to form the foundations on which the Andalusian school of sculpture was to be built.

Estim. 800 - 1 000 EUR

Lot 169 - Spanish school; late 19th century. "Portrait of a bullfighter. Oil on canvas. Good state of preservation. Measurements: 53 x 40 cm; 65 x 52 cm (frame). Portrait of bust in which a male figure is represented that stands out for the sobriety and rotundity of the gestures. His clothing shows that this is a representation of a bullfighter, a characteristic that harmonises with the psychological impression conveyed by the piece. This work is part of the boom in regionalism in Spain in the second half of the 19th century and the first third of the 20th century, when an art with a Romantic, costumbrista heritage and a realistic and meticulous style developed, which focused on depicting subjects, themes and characters that reflected a new sense of folklore. In this context, painters sought to reflect the types and customs of their own land, which made it different and unique, thus vindicating their own roots and, above all, the traditions and ways of dressing and behaving that were threatened by the notable growth of urban areas and the imposition of new fashions brought in from outside. Art, fundamentally in its pictorial aspect, thus became, in a certain way, a vehicle of expression capable of making regional peculiarities known to the rest of the nation.

Estim. 400 - 500 EUR

Lot 170 - Spanish school; c. 1790. "Still life". Oil on canvas. Relined. Presents Puncture. Measurements: 47 x 57 cm; 60 x 70 cm (frame). In an interior of dark and indeterminate space are presented, on a horizontal board as a table, only three elements; a glass with wine, olives and meat, all of them on a white cloth. Despite the economy of the elements that make up this still life, one can appreciate a display of the author's virtuosity that represents numerous tactile qualities. This work is heir to the Hispanic still life school, which has its roots in the first decades of the seventeenth century. Thus, we see a still life of crowded composition, with the elements arranged in an indefinite space and magnificently constructed through the play of light and shadow, and an exquisite work of the qualities. Highly appreciated within the antiquarian market, as well as among collectors and art historians, the Hispanic still life school of the Baroque enjoyed a spectacular development, leaving behind the splendors of the sixteenth century and progressing within a fully Baroque and clearly identifiable style. It presents perforation.

Estim. 1 300 - 1 500 EUR

Lot 171 - Spanish school; XVIII century. "San Juan". Oil on canvas. Measurements: 70 x 47 cm; 80 x 57 cm (frame). In this work San Juan Bautista is presented in full body, covered by a red mantle that alludes to his martyrdom and carrying others the cross of reeds with a phylactery, the latter barely discernible. The artist gives great prominence to the figure of the Saint, in a practically individual, delicate and resounding way. The quality of the finishes is excellent, the subtlety of the folding of the red mantle, with that play of light and shadows that configure the volume in a fluid and natural way. The scene is completed with the presence of the lamb, usual in the iconography of the saint. The Gospels say of John the Baptist that he was the son of the priest Zechariah and Elizabeth, cousin of the Virgin Mary. He retired very young to the desert of Judea to lead an ascetic life and preach penance, and recognized in Jesus, who was baptized by him, the Messiah announced by the prophets. A year after the baptism of Christ, in the year 29, John was arrested and imprisoned by the tetrarch of Galilee Herod Antipas, whose marriage with Herodias, his niece and sister-in-law, he had dared to censure. Finally, St. John was beheaded, and his head given to Salome as a reward for his beautiful dances. This saint appears in Christian art with two different aspects: as a child, a playmate of Jesus, and as an adult, an ascetic preacher. The adult St. John that we see here appears dressed in oriental art with a camel skin sackcloth, which in the West was replaced with a sheepskin that leaves his arms, legs and part of his torso bare. The red cloak he wears at times, as well as in the scene of his intercession at the Last Judgment, alludes to his martyrdom. In Byzantine art he is depicted as a large-winged angel, with his severed head on a tray which he holds in his hands. However, his attributes in Western art are very different. The most frequent is a lamb, which alludes to Jesus Christ, and he often carries a cross of reeds with a phylactery with the inscription "Ecce Agnus Dei".

Estim. 1 300 - 1 500 EUR

Lot 172 - Spanish school; XIX century. "The seesaw". Oil on canvas. Relined. Measurements: 46,5 x 35 cm; 62 x 50 cm (frame). This work follows the models of one of the tapestry cartoons made by Goya. According to the study of the Goya Foundation "Around 1856 or 1857 this carton was taken from the Royal Tapestry Factory to the Royal Palace of Madrid. In 1870 the cartoons for tapestries that were in the basements of the Palace were transferred to the Prado Museum, then called the Museum of Painting and Sculpture. At that time, six of Goya's cartoons were missing, including the one in question. This carton was lost track of for many years until it was brought to the Philadelphia Museum of Art from a private collection in 1975. It was donated by Anna Warren Ingersoll". One of the most outstanding painters in the history of universal art, Francisco de Goya received his first drawing and painting lessons from José Luzán Martínez, who taught at his home and also at the Academy of Drawing founded in Zaragoza in 1754. After three years of studies with this teacher, Goya applied for a pension from the Royal Academy of San Fernando in 1763, at the age of seventeen. It seems that by then he was already a student of Francisco Bayeu, who had returned from court. However, Goya did not manage to enter the Academy, nor when he tried again in 1766. Around 1770 he undertook a trip to Italy to broaden his training and improve his possibilities. There he would leave evidence of his early taste for the grotesque and the satirical. After a long career, Goya was replaced as Pintor de Cámara by Vicente López, and he entered a period of isolation, bitterness and illness that led him to seclude himself in the Quinta del Sordo, on the outskirts of Madrid, where he produced his supreme work: the Pinturas Negras (Black Paintings). Fed up with the absolutism imposed by Ferdinand VII in Spain, Goya finally left for France in 1824, where he met with exiled liberal friends. There he spent his last years and produced his final work, "The Milkmaid of Bordeaux", in which he anticipated impressionism. Today his work is part of the most important art galleries in the world, from the Prado Museum to the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, the Louvre in Paris or the National Gallery in London.

Estim. 1 000 - 1 200 EUR

Lot 173 - Spanish school; c. 1820. "Military scene". Oil on canvas. Measurements: 57 x 37 cm; 66 x 44 cm (frame). Scene of military theme in which it is not presented a warlike act, nor heroic as it was usual, but it is about the recruitment. The work is starring a military man who is reviewing a recruit in a crowded waiting room. The work is largely reminiscent of Leonardo Alenza, who began his training learning drawing with Juan Antonio Ribera, and attending classes in coloring and composition taught by José de Madrazo at the Royal Academy of San Fernando. In 1842 he was named academician of merit of San Fernando. He specialized in small-format costumbrist works, as well as in portraits full of life in which he knew how to endow his models with expressiveness and psychological depth. An outstanding renovator of the Madrid costumbrista school, his vision is critical of society, taking pleasure in reflecting conflictive aspects of life, as opposed to the kindly vision of his Andalusian contemporaries. A great draftsman, gifted with an astonishing ease of execution, he was capable of sketching with great economy of means any scene that passed before his eyes, which allowed him to collaborate as a draftsman in important publications of the time. His oil paintings are characterized by their loose, stain-based execution, as well as by his masterful handling of light and his mastery of color. His palette is dominated, as we see here, by brown and muted tones, a legacy of the more sober Goya, that of the "Black Paintings", which he also approaches in the subject matter chosen in many of his works. In fact, Aureliano de Beruete considered him the most important of the painters influenced by Goya. His is a loose brushstroke, which configures the image based on expressive spots of color. He does not describe, but focuses on the faces of the characters, with an almost expressionist treatment. Leonardo Alenza is widely represented in the Prado Museum, and also has works in the Romantic and Municipal Museums of Madrid, the National Library, the Lázaro Galdiano and the Marquis of Cerralbo.

Estim. 1 000 - 1 200 EUR

Lot 174 - Spanish school; XVIII century. "Virgin of the Annunciation". Oil on canvas. Presents faults and Punctures. It has a period frame with Repainting. Measurements: 126 x 100 cm; 135 x 110 cm (frame). In this painting we see a Virgin of the Annunciation holding a book, with her head down in sign of humility and her hands crossed on her chest, indicating her submissive acceptance of the divine message. The figure is placed in the foreground, before a neutral and dark background, somewhat more illuminated behind the head, following a composition that is at the same time typical of contemporary portrait and devotional painting, which brings the image even closer to the viewer, seeking to move the soul of the faithful who prays before the image. Regarding the theme alluding to the Virgin of the Annunciation, the iconographic tradition includes a more narrative scene, in which the Archangel Gabriel appears to the Virgin, to tell her the news 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. It presents faults and Punctures.

Estim. 1 800 - 1 900 EUR

Lot 175 - Andalusian School; second third of the XIX century. "Saint Thomas of Villanueva". Oil on canvas. It conserves frame of epoch. Measurements: 145 x 96 cm; 157 x 108 cm (frame). Saint Thomas of Villanova (1486-1555), was an Augustinian friar and ascetic priest, archbishop of Valencia, as well as advisor and confessor to King Charles I of Spain, also prior of Salamanca, Burgos and Valladolid. One of his most recognizable iconographic elements are the coins in his hand, which allude to one of his most valued characteristics: his charity towards the poor. This painting follows the models of the painting "Saint Thomas of Villanova giving alms", painted around 1678 and currently conserved in the same museum. Murilló painted this image for a chapel of the same convent, and is the only saint not belonging to the Franciscan order that appears in the paintings of the church. Although St. Thomas of Villanova was an Augustinian saint, his presence in the group is justified given that he is an almsgiving saint, and in fact almsgiving was one of the main activities of the Franciscans. Another reason is his origin, since he is a Valencian saint, and in the Capuchin community of Seville there were numerous friars from Valencia, and devotion to St. Thomas of Villanova was widespread among them. The saint appears in an architectural interior, in which, as in Murillo's work, a spectacular sensation of depth is created by alternating planes of light and shadow. The saint presides over the scene, abandoning his theological studies (represented by the books on the table on the left) to dedicate himself to charity. In the foreground, on the left, we see one of the most attractive groups of Murillo's painting, a woman with her child of great naturalism and sweetness.

Estim. 1 800 - 1 900 EUR

26th June - Old Masters

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Lot 134 - French School, Circle of JEAN LOUIS FRANÇOISE LAGRENÉE (Paris, 1725 - 1805) .; second half of the 18th century. "Danae receiving the golden shower." Oil on canvas. Reliend. Measures: 84 x 94.5 cm; 100 x 109 cm (frame).

Lot 160 - Following VELÁZQUEZ models; XIX century. "Infante Baltasar Carlos on Horseback". Oil on canvas. Presents restorations and patches on the back. Measures: 85 x 70.5 cm; 94.5 x 81.5 cm (frame).