25th September - Old Masters

Lote 1 - DIRCK THEODOR HELMBREEKER (1633 - 1696). "Landscape with peasants". Oil on canvas Relined. Signed "T.H." in the lower right corner. Measurements: 94 x 125 cm; 115 x 146 cm (frame). Dirck Theodor Helmbreeker developed a type of genre scenes in which the landscape occupies a predominant place, so that the peasants are dwarfed by the sublimity of nature. The painting in question is evidence of this interest in placing people in leafy landscapes. A woman carries a bundle of branches, her husband rides a horse and whips the cows with a stick to make them move forward. They are accompanied by a child and two sheepdogs. The family creates a bucolic scene, which in turn is set in an idealized landscape. This painting responds to the genre developed by Dutch painters who settled in Rome in the seventeenth century. They were the bamboccianti, to whose group Dirck Theodor Helmbreeker belonged. Despite their humble subject matter, the works found appreciation among elite collectors because the treatment of the landscape was majestic. Dirck Theodor Helmbreeker was a Dutch painter of the Golden Age, author of Italianate landscapes. He was born in Haarlem and was a disciple of Pieter de Grebber. He traveled to Rome at a very young age, where he remained until his death. His paintings belong to the group of artists known as the Bamboccianti, or, as Houbraken writes, Bamboots, which is a specialization of Northern artists in small-scale genre scenes in the manner of Pieter van Laer during his stay in Rome. Helmbreker arrived in Italy in 1654 and settled in Rome by the end of the decade. By the late 1670s, he and the Flemish painter Willem Reuter were part of a group known as the "Congregazione dei Virtuosi al Pantheon." The Congregazione counted among its members many important artists who left their mark in Rome. It was influenced by Sébastien Bourdon. His genre scenes, which were part of the last generation of the Bamboccianti, tended to be more classically inspired than many of his earlier underworld scenes. Ultimately, these works were a great success with Italian collectors. In 1695 he was commissioned to paint the main altarpiece of the church of St. Julian of the Flemish in Rome. The historian Houbraken described a 1681 painting in the possession of Pieter Klok showing an Italian monastery with a group of poor people in the foreground with various handicaps being given soup from a large cauldron by a Franciscan friar. Helmbreker was very religious and made many donations to the poor in Rome.

Valorac. 6 000 - 8 000 EUR

Lote 2 - ALEXANDER CASTEELS THE ELDER (Antwerp, ca. 1635-1681-82). "Battle." Oil on canvas. Relined. Signed with monogram in the lower margin, in the central-right part. Measurements: 97 x 133 cm; 113 x 148 cm (frame). This battle scene of the painter Alexander Casteels gathers several elements of the great works of the Flemish baroque: the great number of figures multiplying the scenes in the bosom of a scenographic landscape, the dramatic choreography that draw the falling bodies and the rearing horses, the expressive dramatism of the stormy sky? Silver lights shine on the metal of the armor and rifles, as well as on the smooth fur of the foreshortened horses. The cavalry, if we pay attention to the clothing, could respond to armies contemporary to Casteels. The author lived through turbulent times, as endless battles were taking place between the Netherlands and the troops of Philip II of Spain. However, Casteels used to treat the war theme in an abstract way, devoid of historical or local references, since his intention was to exalt the epic of war itself. His great interest was to capture the din of battle and the sublimity of the wooded landscape. Both aspects have been amply achieved in this scene. Alexander Casteels the Elder was a Flemish painter, mostly known for his battle scenes and landscapes with hunters. Casteels trained in Antwerp, where he entered the guild of St. Luke in 1658/59. He worked with the Antwerp art dealer Forchondt, who traded his works throughout Europe. He was one of the leading artists of the Forchondt firm in the second half of the century. They sold his works mainly in Central and Eastern Europe, where his hunting and battle scenes were in demand among the local aristocrats. He belonged to the highest paid artists working for Forchondt. His cavalry battles do not depict any recognizable historical event, but are imaginary, as in the case of "Joshua Fighting the Amalekites" (National Gallery of Slovenia), which depicts a story from the Bible. In this work, the artist has been inspired by the engravings made from the paintings of Antonio Tempesta. This is visible in the composition, the treatment of the landscape and the arrangement of the horses and riders. He also often painted the then popular theme of the battle between Christians and Turks, of which two examples are preserved in the collection of the Bavarian State Paintings Collections. The son of the founder of the Forchondt firm, who lived in Vienna, expressly requested that small and large battle scenes by Alexander and another battle painter active in Antwerp named Pauwels Casteels, possibly a member of the family, be sent to Vienna, as there was a great demand for his battle scenes in central and eastern Europe.

Valorac. 8 000 - 10 000 EUR

Lote 3 - Sevillian school; late 17th century. "Death and glorification of Saint Catherine of Siena". Oil on canvas. Re-drawn. It presents faults and restorations. Size: 107 x 181 cm; 127 x 207 cm (frame). Conceived in a classical and traditional way, the author of this work shows the religious procession around Saint Catherine of Siena who is on the bed with the crucifix on her chest. The multitude of figures are arranged by the artist in the form of a frieze in such a way as to make it easier to read, but in order to make the image easier to understand, the artist also makes use of the colours, combining cold colours on the left and warm colours on the right. This choice is not only technical but also symbolic, as the artist uses the range of greys and blacks to represent the religious who form part of earthly life and the bright colours for the heavenly cortege formed by the martyr saints and featuring the presence of Jesus and the Virgin, who both extend their arms to welcome the saint into eternal life. The intention of these works was to move the public, to encourage pious acts and at the same time to perpetuate the memory of a reference of holiness, thus creating a whole historical tradition. Born in Siena around 1347, she took a vow of virginity at the age of seven. As her mother wanted to marry her off, she shaved her head. Received into the Third Order of Saint Dominic at the age of sixteen, she led an ascetic life in the convent that ruined her fragile health. She had a particular devotion to St Agnes of Montepulciano. According to legend, when Catherine visited the tomb of St Agnes, and was bending over the saint's body to kiss her foot, the saint raised it to the level of her lips. She was glorified for having helped to bring Pope Gregory XI to Rome from Avignon. On the occasion of the Western Schism, she sided with Urban VI. She died in Rome in 1380 and was canonised in 1461. 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 period, we find Juan del Castillo, Antonio Mohedano and Francisco Herrera el Viejo, whose works already display the rapid brushstrokes and crude realism of the style, and Juan de Roelas, who introduced Venetian colourism. The middle of the century saw the fullness of the period, with figures such as Zurbarán, a young Alonso Cano and Velázquez. Finally, in the last third of the century we find Murillo and Valdés Leal, founders in 1660 of an Academy where many of the painters active during the first quarter of the 18th century were trained, such as Meneses Osorio, Sebastián Gómez, Lucas Valdés and others.

Valorac. 10 000 - 12 000 EUR

Lote 4 - ALEJO FERNÁNDEZ (Germany?, ca. 1470-Seville, 1545). "Nativity. Oil on panel. Measurements: 47 x 35 cm. The one we present here is a Nativity painted by Alejo Fernández, the most significant painter in Seville in the first decades of the 16th century. In it, the Italian influence can be appreciated, especially significant in the perspective, composed in a rigorous manner. The general drawing of the work, especially in the case of the Virgin, is very precisely drawn and at the same time delicately defined. The colour is equally harmonious. Despite his German origin, Alejo Fernández was the representative of the early Renaissance in Andalusia. According to Pilar Silva Maroto, an art historian specialising in Hispano-Flemish and early Renaissance painting, in her biography in the Museo del Prado, "He remained in Cordoba until 1508, when he moved to Seville with his brother Jorge to work in the cathedral, where he painted the beam of the main altarpiece. His prestige was firmly established in Seville from the outset, and as soon as he arrived in the city he received important commissions, such as the main altarpiece and the altarpiece for the chapel of Santiago in the Charterhouse of Santa María de las Cuevas, which he was commissioned to paint in 1509. Worthy of note are the altarpieces commissioned by the Burgos-born Sancho de Matienzo for Villasana de Mena (Burgos), which were destroyed in 1936, and the one he made for Rodrigo Fernández de Santaella of the Virgen de la Antigua for the chapel of Maese Rodrigo in Seville. From 1520 onwards the works contracted by Alejo Fernández were mostly done in collaboration with the workshop or with other painters, with exceptions such as the Virgin of the Navigators, destined for the Casa de Contratación in Seville (ca. 1531-1536). His style - which combines his Flemish training and his debt to Italian quattrocento art - was maintained in Seville until his death, when other artists who were familiar with Romanesque art, such as Pedro de Campaña, were already gaining ground in the city. He is currently represented in the Prado Museum, the Seville Museum of Fine Arts, the Brussels Museum, the Cordoba Museum of Fine Arts and other important institutions.

Valorac. 9 000 - 10 000 EUR

Lote 5 - Italian school; early seventeenth century. "Dead Christ". Bronze. Iron base of later period. Measurements: 42 x 35 x 8 cm; 55 x 35 x 11 cm (base). The polished finish of the material, the symmetry and the modeling of the forms that follow the classic canon of a balanced and idealized anatomy, form an image that, in spite of the dramatism contained in the theme of the crucifixion, transmits an immutable beauty that comes from the aesthetic serenity with which the sculptor has conceived the work. As for the sculpture, in this case we observe how the artist uses only three nails, thus accentuating the drama of the scene, which is enhanced by the elongation of the upper extremities that reflect how Christ supports the entire load of his body, with his face downward, exhausted, and his eyes closed, indicating his death. Stylistically, a great interest and influence of classical statuary that can be seen in the presence of an idealized anatomy, the drapery and the curvature adopted by the body with the legs bent to the right, which slightly shift the hips, reminiscent in some ways of the Praxitelic curve. Crucifixions and crucifixes have appeared in the history of art and popular culture since before the era of the pagan Roman Empire. The crucifixion of Jesus has been depicted in religious art since the 4th century. It is one of the most recurrent themes in Christian art and the one with the most obvious iconography. Although Christ is sometimes depicted clothed, it is usual to represent his naked body, albeit with the genitals covered with a purity cloth (perizonium); full nudes are very rare, but prominent (Brunelleschi, Michelangelo, Cellini). The conventions of representation of the different attitudes of the crucified Christ are designated by the Latin expressions Christus triumphans ("triumphant" -not to be confused with the Maiestas Domini or the Pantocrator-), Christus patiens ("resigned" -not to be confused with the Christ of patience-) and Christus dolens ("suffering" -not to be confused with the Vir dolorum-). The triumphans is represented alive, with open eyes and erect body; the patiens is represented dead, with the will totally emptied (kenosis), the head bowed, the face with serene expression, the eyes closed and the body arched, showing the five wounds; the dolens is represented in a similar way to the patiens, but with a gesture of pain, particularly in the mouth.

Valorac. 9 000 - 10 000 EUR

Lote 6 - Italian school of the XVII century. "Angels and flowers". Oil on canvas. Relined. Repainting and restorations. Measurements: 132 x 96 cm; 135 x 99 cm (frame). Baroque painting of Italian school, endowed with a great plastic quality. Two angels or putti are ready to adorn a feminine bust of stone, probably a divinity of the nature (perhaps Flora), and for it they have gathered bunches of aromatic spring flowers, with which they make a splendid garland. Their bodies, skilfully modeled by the chiaroscuro, have turned limbs and subtly reddened flesh. Fluffy cheeks and black eyes characterize the plump childish faces. The sensuality of the corollas coexists with the gracefulness of the bodies, which flaunt silk wings. The whole is a celebration of spring and life.

Valorac. 8 000 - 10 000 EUR

Lote 7 - MATEO GALLARDO (Madrid?, ca. 1600 - Madrid, 1667) "Jael and Sisara". Oil on canvas. Re-drawn. It presents slight faults on the pictorial surface. Signed in the lower right area. Provenance: Collection Fórum Filatélico, Madrid and Private Collection of Madrid. Measurements: 145 x 163 cm; 156 x 172 cm (frame). Bibliography - Angulo Íñiguez, Diego, and Pérez Sánchez, Alfonso E., Historia de la pintura española. Escuela madrileña del segundo tercio del siglo XVII, Madrid, Instituto Diego Velázquez, csic, 1983, p. 67. - Mónica Walker Vadillo, Jael y Sísara, Digital database of Medieval Iconography, Universidad Complutense de Madrid. With two works in the collection of the Prado Museum, this painting of excellent quality presents the biblical moment in which Jael, the wife of Barak the Kenite, invites Sisera (Jabin's general) to rest in her tent after the battle between the Israelites and the subjects of King Jabin of Canaan. When he falls asleep, Jael drives a stake through his temple; fulfilling the words of the prophetess Deborah, who foretold that General Sisera would die by the hand of a woman and not by the sword of Barak. This Old Testament passage is considered by medieval exegetes to be a prefiguration of the Virgin defeating the devil. Other painters were interested in this theme, such as Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1656) and Jacopo Vignali (1592-1664). Compositionally, we see General Sisera on the ground, dead, while Jael picks up his tunic under the attentive gaze of her husband. The clothing of the various figures is richly coloured. The spotlight on the left-hand side of the painting depicts different tones on the skin of the sitters. These flesh tones are very restrained, and without being monumental, they are worked in great detail. On the far left, a window opens onto a landscape that adds depth to the scene. The thick folds of the costumes are meticulously treated, lending solemnity to a narrative scene with a profound emotional sense. Mateo Gallardo was a Spanish Baroque painter based in Madrid. Of his works, only one signed and dated canvas survives: The Martyrdom of Saint Catherine (1653, Museo de Bellas Artes de Asturias). His painting is characterised by vivid colouring and the rounded forms of a very elaborate drawing. He is therefore considered to be a painter of the late Mannerist aesthetic. Among his best-known works is the main altarpiece of Plasencia Cathedral.

Valorac. 20 000 - 25 000 EUR

Lote 8 - Flemish school; late sixteenth century. "The coronation of the Virgin". Oil on canvas. Cradled. Measurements: 54 x 50 cm. In this work Mary is represented in the center, establishing herself as the axis of symmetry of the composition, which stands out for its centripetal conception. This dynamism is instituted by the achievement of concentric circles, which form the different angels that populate the scene. In addition, one of the most remarkable aspect of the image is the white background. A priori it seems an unfinished work, however, the presence of the clouds that are under some of the angels, demonstrate that the work was conceived in such a way. In this painting we can appreciate many of the aesthetic elements that are part of the pictorial tradition of the Flemish school, such as a balanced and harmonious composition. Thus, the descriptive and detailed sense of the Flemish primitives is maintained, especially appreciable in the careful treatment of the canvases and in the rigorous drawing, in addition to highlighting the space based on empirical knowledge and not on perspective studies. The chromatism also recalls the works of the Flemish masters of the previous century. While in the 17th century the demand for religious art for churches radically ceased in the northern provinces, today's Holland, in Flanders a monumental art in the service of the Catholic Church flourished instead, partly due to the necessary restoration of the ravages that the wars had caused in churches and convents. In addition, due to the split of the Church and the Reformation, which meant the consolidation of Protestantism in the countries neighboring Flanders, the religious forces of the place responded with an iconographic display that confronted the Protestant doctrine. For this reason, images of saints proliferated, and of course those depicting the life of the Virgin Mary. Due to the aesthetics of the present work, it is worth noting that it has certain similarities with the works of Pedro de Campaña (Brussels, 1503 - ca. 1580), a Flemish painter who trained in Italy. The theme of the coronation of the Virgin was told in the second century by St. Meliton, bishop of Sardis and later disseminated by Gregory of Tours, and James of Voragine, who collected it in his famous legend Aurea. The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin is also a subject of devotion throughout Christianity. Beyond art, the Coronation is a central motif in Marian Processions throughout the world.

Valorac. 10 000 - 12 000 EUR

Lote 9 - Italian school of the first half of the 19th century. After RAFAEL SANZIO (Italy, 1483 - 1520). "The Holy Family of Francis I/The Large Holy Family". Oil on canvas. Measurements: 104 x 137 cm; 122 x 150 cm (frame). This work is a faithful continuation of the one painted by Raphael Sanzio in 1518, an oil on panel transferred to canvas now in the Louvre Museum in Paris. Raphael depicted in this canvas the Holy Family accompanied by St. John the Baptist as a child and his mother, St. Elizabeth. 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 two women and the two children remain in the foreground, directly illuminated. These four 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. 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 oblivious to the dramatic fate of Jesus. Only the two women show a certain pain contained in their expressions that lets us guess the sorrow with which they contemplate the children's games.

Valorac. 2 000 - 2 500 EUR

Lote 10 - Flemish school of the second half of the 17th century. Follower of PETER PAUL RUBENS (Siegen, Germany, 1577 - Antwerp, Belgium, 1640). "The judgment of Solomon". Oil on canvas adhered to cardboard. With frame of the 19th century. It presents restorations. Measurements: 86 x 161 cm; 96 x 171 cm (frame).

Valorac. 6 000 - 7 000 EUR

Lote 11 - Caravaggista school of the 17th century. "The coronation of thorns". Oil on canvas. Re-drawn. It presents restorations. Measurements: 78 x 87 cm; 98 x 107 cm (frame). The theme of the mockery of Christ by several Roman soldiers and executioners, narrated in the New Testament (in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark), had a great diffusion in the arts. In the present work, two executioners place the crown of thorns on Christ's head, while a third offers him a reed as a sceptre. The restrained aggression in the gestures of the three figures, who stare angrily at the Redeemer, stands out. The palette and qualities of the painting show the influence of the 17th-century Italian Caravaggio school. The skilful use of chiaroscuro lends drama to the scene while defining the space naturally. The emphasis on the ugly expressiveness of the wicked is also a Caravaggist device. Typically Baroque solutions.

Valorac. 4 500 - 5 000 EUR

Lote 12 - Italian school of the 18th century. "The escape". Oil on canvas. Relined. With 19th century Spanish frame. With restorations. Measurements: 70 x 97 cm; 81 x 107 cm (frame).

Valorac. 2 000 - 2 500 EUR

Lote 13 - Italian school; XIX century. "Neptune". Gilt bronze and marble base. He has faults. Measures: 17 x 12 x 7 cm; 25 cm (base height).

Valorac. 400 - 500 EUR

Lote 14 - Spanish follower of GIOVANNI BATISTA SALVI "SASSOFERRATO", 17th century. "Mater Dolorosa". Oil on canvas. Re-retouched. It presents faults and repainting on the pictorial layer. The frame has faults in the carving and xylophagous remains. Measurements: 48 x 36 cm; 62 x 49 cm (frame). Bust of Mary cut out and highlighted on a very dark background thanks to a powerful spotlight that falls on her face and on her mantle, following the Baroque line known as Caravaggist. However, the features of the Virgin and the modelling of the magnificent cloak are more reminiscent of examples from the Bolognese school, noted for its classicism and its differences compared to the more tenebrist school of 17th-century Italian Baroque painting. The piece follows the iconographic style established by the artist Giovanni Battista Salvi, better known as "Il Sassoferrato", an Italian Baroque painter appreciated above all for the creation of devotional images in which he combined the Bolognese classicism and the tenebrism of the Caravaggist tradition, with a great variety of models and much diffusion, which often makes it difficult to attribute works to him with certainty. He began his training with his father, Tarquinio Salvi, and furthered it with Domenichino. He settled permanently in Rome and soon achieved a certain degree of success with his gentle painting, allowing him to establish an important workshop in the city that would repeat the master's style and outlines. His work is preserved in important institutions such as the National Gallery in London, the Museo del Prado in Madrid, the Palazzo Barberini in Rome, the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, etc.

Valorac. 300 - 400 EUR

Lote 15 - Venetian school, ca. 1730. "Mythological scene. Oil on canvas. Restored. Size: 98 x 122 cm; 115 x 140 cm (frame). In this work the author presents us a scene with a marked theatrical character, which can be deduced from the attitudes adopted by the characters, whose poses are stereotyped, representing archetypes coinciding with mythological characters. The work, which takes place in a profuse landscape that opens out on the left to a cloudless sky, depicts a scene of great intensity. A richly dressed woman tries to murder a man who is lying asleep. On the right of the canvas, two nude figures can be seen bathing in a lake while observing the scene. It is important to note the presence of these figures within the composition, as they may represent the protagonists of the scene at an earlier moment in history, thus creating a narrative pictorial composition, which was a common device used in both mythological and historical paintings. This work reflects the aesthetic of the Italian Baroque classicist landscape tradition, initiated by Annibale Carracci and characterised by a rational idealisation of nature, always based on the canons of classicism, which dictate ordered, harmonious and clear compositions that combine the naturalism of the representation with rigorous compositional structure. Thus, we see a clear landscape, open in depth, a way of composing the landscape already initiated by Carracci. However, in this work the artist's composition differs from the classicism mentioned above, as he introduces a vaporous atmosphere similar to those developed by the Venetian school. Finally, the figures are also heirs to the classical Italian Baroque landscape, small and integrated into the landscape, without detracting from the representation of nature. Formally, it is in keeping with academicism, and therefore follows classical rules, the first of which is its high technical quality. Thus, the drawing is rigorous and firm, although a taste for sumptuousness, typical of the Venetian school, can be appreciated in the conception. Academicism is a direct legacy of classicism, hence the predilection for themes such as the one presented here, taken from mythology, although captured from a sensual and decorative point of view far removed from the solemnity of ancient classical art. This also explains his approach to the subject, recreating the mythological figures in a completely new way. Nevertheless, we can appreciate an ideal of beauty that is not based on reality, although the painter's study of nature is undeniable, but rather an idealism based on reality through his sum of experience, that is to say, an aesthetic sublimation that reflects a beauty that transcends reality.

Valorac. 6 000 - 6 500 EUR

Lote 16 - Spanish school or Italy; second half of the eighteenth century. "Aurora and Cefalo". Oil on canvas. Relined. It presents repainting and flaws on the pictorial surface. Measures: 48 x 65 cm.

Valorac. 250 - 300 EUR

Lote 17 - Neapolitan school; circa 1700. "The Resurrection of Lazarus". Oil on canvas. Re-coloured. It presents faults and repainting. Measurements: 100 x 156 cm; 110 x 165 cm (frame). There is in this image a dramatic effect generated by the illumination of tenebrist heritage and by the composition that the artist has used to narrate the theme of the resurrection of Lazarus. Based on a classical frieze-like structure, the artist cuts down the format, focusing only on the busts of the figures and eliminating any anecdotal elements or unnecessary depth that would distract the viewer from the subject. It is true that the figure of Christ stands out for the tonalities with which he has been portrayed, but the indisputable protagonist of this work is Lazarus and his exasperating body, marked by a musculature that reveals his bony structure, revealing how the flesh is consumed by death. The author takes the anatomy of this religious figure to the extreme and is heir to the form of Neapolitan Baroque painting. The theme of the resurrection of Lazarus can be identified iconographically in this work. 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 don't understand, he clarifies: "Lazarus is dead, and for your sake, I'm glad I wasn't there so you can believe. When they arrive in Bethany, Lazarus has been dead and buried for four days. Before they enter the village, 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. On 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 scripture says: Jesus wept. After that, Jesus asks for the stone to be removed from the tomb, but Martha insists that there will be a smell. To which Jesus replies, "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 sake 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 Lazarus came out, 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. "Lazarus is mentioned again in chapter 12 of John's Gospel. Six days before the Passover in which Jesus is crucified, Jesus returns to Bethany and Lazarus attends a dinner at which Martha, his sister.

Valorac. 3 500 - 4 500 EUR

Lote 18 - Attributed to PAOLO DE MATTEIS (Salerno, Naples, 1662 - 1728). "The Gathering of Herminia. Oil on canvas. Preserves original canvas. It presents restorations. Measurements: 182 x 142 cm. The disposition of the characters that make up this scene indicates that the work is possibly a fragment of a larger composition of which the replica is found. In the original painting, which is larger in size, there is a young woman being observed by the other figures. In terms of subject matter these would represent shepherds, and the lost figure Herminia, or erminia, a Saracen princess fleeing from battle and finally taking refuge in a shepherd's hut. The story in particular is inspired by one of the passages of the epic poem "The liberated Jerusalem", written by Torcuato Tasso in 1581. Aesthetically, the work is heir to tenebrism by playing with contrasts of light, creating an unreal and directed illumination. Furthermore, the way in which the shepherds are portrayed, one of advanced age and three young people whose representation recalls that of the putti, is realistic and in the case of the old man stark, as can be seen especially in the pictorial treatment of the torso. The scene is completed by the presence of several sheep and a herding dog, which adds great dynamism to the scene. Due to the type of composition and especially the chromatic range used, this piece belongs to the production of the Italian artist Paolo de Matteis. He trained academically with the master Francesco di Maria in Naples, and later with Luca Giordano. From 1702 to 1705 de 'Matteis worked in Paris, Calabria and Genoa. Between 1723 and 1725, de 'Matteis lived in Rome, where he was commissioned by Pope Innocent XIII. During this period he had as pupils various personalities such as Ignatius de Oliveira, Bernardes Peresi and members of the Sarnelli family, Giuseppe Mastroleo, Giovanni Pandozzi, and Nicolas de Filippis. Today his work can be found in important private collections and in numerous important institutions, including the Capodimonte Museum (Italy), the Getty Museum in California (USA), and the National Gallery of Urbino (Italy).

Valorac. 7 000 - 8 000 EUR

Lote 19 - Sevillian school; last third of the 17th century. "Annunciation". Oil on canvas. Relined. It has a frame from the 18th century. Measurements: 37 x 48 cm; 43 x 55 cm (frame). Aesthetically this work is inscribed, therefore, in the Sevillian Baroque. The main scene is situated in an interior in which, on the right hand side, the Virgin kneels before a lectern. A vase of lilies, a symbol of Marian purity, stands between her and the archangel who brings her the good news. St Gabriel points upwards, where God the Father and the Holy Spirit, barely discernible, burst forth in a burst of golden glory. The Annunciation is an episode widely represented throughout the history of Christian art, given that it is one of the main dogmas of the church, that of the Incarnation. It is also included in both the cycle of the life of Christ and the life of the Virgin, which gives it renewed meaning as a narrative episode. The brother of the painter José Antolínez, Francisco was a lawyer by profession, although his curiosity led him to take an interest in a wide range of subjects. He even took up painting, achieving success with small-format works generally featuring small figures against a background of landscape or architecture. Ceán Bermúdez stated that after studying law in Seville he learned painting at Murillo's school and attended the academy established in the Casa Lonja in the same city, where he is recorded as having attended in 1672. That same year he must have moved to Madrid to join José Antolínez, although it is likely that after Antolínez's death he returned to his native city for some time. He finally settled permanently in Madrid. Francisco Antolínez was able to make a living from painting, but in spite of this he did not sign his works, as he preferred to present himself as a lawyer. Antolínez was heir to the Flemish style of Ignacio de Iriarte in his landscapes, and to the architectural backgrounds of Matías de Torres. His figures have a clear Murilloesque character. Francisco Antolínez is currently represented in the Prado Museum, the Castrelos Museum in Vigo, the Provincial Museum in Ciudad Real, the Episcopal Palace in Huesca, the parish church of Santa Ana in Brea de Aragón, the church of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios in Zamora and other religious centres and public and private collections.

Valorac. 600 - 800 EUR

Lote 20 - CORNELIS JACOBSZ DELFF (1570-1643). "Still life of a pantry. Oil on canvas. Relined. Attached report issued by Dr. Fred G. Meijer. It has restorations. It has a 20th century frame. Signed in the upper right area. Measurements: 130 x 202 cm; 235 x 164 cm (frame). In this exuberant image, the artist, presents us with a great display of his technical quality which is evident in the game of capturing the numerous elements that make up the image, but at the same time in the ambiguity with which he conceives the scene. At first sight it appears to be a still life with figures, a very popular genre in Flanders. However, on observing the figure of the woman, it can be seen that she is not dressed like a simple shopkeeper, as her clothing and the pearl hanging from one of her ears make her a far cry from the popular idea. Behind her, a man is besieging her, leaning his face against her neck and offering her a glass of wine. This characteristic imbues the work with a gallant theme that is contextualised behind a prolific, rich and diverse still life. The still life with large figures of the Flemish school originated in the 16th century in the works of Pieter Aertsen (1508-1575) and Joachim Beuckelaer (1533-1574). Both painters produced large paintings that advanced the Baroque style through their naturalism and scenographic value, although they still show the variegation of elements typical of Mannerism. Pieter Aerstsen created a formula that consisted of placing the figure in the foreground, surrounded by large-scale foodstuffs, always depicted with particular attention to quality and detail in the Flemish tradition. Beuckelaer, a pupil of Aertsen, took this model created by his master and used it to depict religious scenes, which are always secondary to still lifes. In the 17th century the genre of the still life with figures became very important in the Flemish school, with compositions that were already more dynamic and theatrical, fully in keeping with the Baroque style, as we see here. A still-life painter, he was the son and pupil of Jacob Willemsz Delff: apart from the dates of his birth and death, no other biographical details are known. Stylistically, he belongs to that group of Dutch painters who began to paint still lifes inspired by all the Flemish market and kitchen scenes in which figures are still present. In the few works attributed to him, there is a predilection for painting the surfaces of copper and brass plates, the gleam of which is often reflected in the glass. Fish, birds (which demonstrates the soft consistency of the feathers) and fruit are frequently present, their thick background consisting of wooden planks and dark tones. The composition shows little vigour in the assemblage of objects, with a predilection for the combination of simple forms, with mostly two-dimensional effects.

Valorac. 30 000 - 35 000 EUR

Lote 21 - Elements of an altarpiece; c. 1613. Carved and gilded wood. It has an inscription. It has faults in the carving and gilding. Measurements: 194 x 200 x 50 cm. Lot made up of various elements that originally formed part of an altarpiece. The piece conserves the columns, the entablature, the frieze and the cornice in such a way that its total appearance refers to classical models as far as the architectural conception is concerned. The columns, which stand on square bases, have been designed with a larger diameter in the lower area than the upper one, thus visually lightening the volume of the work. As for the ornamental design, the columns alternate in colour with contrasting chromatic details on each of the strips. The upper part, which has the central area in front, is decorated with interlacing vegetal elements dominated by greens and reds that create a great dynamism on the gilding of the base. Finally, the piece is crowned with an overhanging upper cornice.

Valorac. 3 000 - 4 000 EUR

Lote 22 - Viceregal school of the 17th century, possibly Peruvian. "Saint Michael the Archangel". Alabaster (Huamanga stone) carved and polychromed, partially gilded. Measurements: 29 x 18 x 9 cm. Sculpture made from a type of alabaster originating in Peru, the Huamanga stone. In the viceregal period, devotional sculptures in this material proliferated, replacing western marble. Huamanga stone carving was a characteristic artistic manifestation of Ayacucho. Saint Michael the Archangel has been carved in alabaster, in a half-bulk figure, intended for a frontal view. He stands on a pedestal of clouds, between which a seraph appears. He wears the military attire of a knight, inspired by the attire of the Roman militia. From the position of the right arm, it can be deduced that he is carrying a spear. The cloths flutter around the figure, giving it a certain dynamism. In the 17th century, Peruvian sculpture underwent a special development with the beginning of an indigenous tradition based on the free reinterpretation of European models imported by the Jesuit missions. The Italian and Spanish influence of the Baroque resulted in its own imagery. Quito was one of the main artistic centres. According to tradition, St. Michael is the head of the heavenly militia and defender of the church. It is precisely for this reason that he fights against the rebellious angels and the dragon of the Apocalypse. He is also a psychopomp, i.e. he leads the dead and weighs the souls on Judgement Day. Scholars have linked his cult to that of several ancient gods: Anubis in Egyptian mythology, Hermes and Mercury in classical mythology, and Wotan in Norse mythology. In the West, the cult of St Michael began to develop from the 5th and 6th centuries onwards, first in Italy and France, then spreading to Germany and the rest of Christendom. The churches and chapels dedicated to him are innumerable around the year 1000, in connection with the belief that the Apocalypse would arrive on that date. His temples are often located on high places, as he is a celestial saint. He was particularly venerated by the kings of France from the 14th century onwards, and the Counter-Reformation made him the head of the church against Protestant heresy, giving a new impetus to his cult. Saint Michael the Archangel is a military saint, and therefore patron saint of knights and of all trades related to arms.

Valorac. 2 700 - 3 000 EUR

Lote 23 - Valladolid School of the 16th century. "Virgin and Saint Anne". Relief in polychrome and gilded wood. Measurements: 84 x 35 x 2 cm. Relief in carved and polychrome wood, with gilded details that enrich and clarify the composition. Rectangular in format, this is a clearly Italianate work in which the Virgin and her mother are represented. Both women are shown in the foreground, expressing their affliction and foreboding through a shared silence. Mary's lowered gaze, Saint Anne holding her hands and the grief reflected in her features speak for themselves. Spain was, at the beginning of the 16th century, the European nation best prepared to receive the new humanist concepts of life and art because of its spiritual, political and economic conditions, although from the point of view of plastic forms, its adaptation of those introduced by Italy was slower due to the need to learn the new techniques and to change the taste of the clientele. Sculpture reflects perhaps better than other artistic fields this desire to return to the classical Greco-Roman world, which in its nudes exalts the individuality of man, creating a new style whose vitality surpasses mere copying. Anatomy, the movement of the figures, compositions with a sense of perspective and balance, the naturalistic play of folds, the classical attitudes of the figures soon began to be valued; but the strong Gothic tradition maintained expressivity as a vehicle for the profound spiritualist sense that informs our best Renaissance sculptures. This strong and healthy tradition favours the continuity of religious sculpture in polychrome wood, which accepts the formal beauty offered by Italian Renaissance art with a sense of balance that avoids its predominance over the immaterial content that animates the forms. In the early years of the century, Italian works arrived in our lands and some of our sculptors went to Italy, where they learned first-hand the new standards in the most progressive centres of Italian art, whether in Florence or Rome, and even in Naples. On their return, the best of them, such as Berruguete, Diego de Siloe and Ordóñez, revolutionised Spanish sculpture through Castilian sculpture, even advancing the new mannerist, intellectualised and abstract derivation of the Italian Cinquecento, almost at the same time as it was produced in Italy.

Valorac. 4 000 - 5 000 EUR

Lote 24 - Spanish school, late 15th century. "Saint Sebastian". Carved and polychrome wood. Measurements: 95 x 34 x 19,5 cm. Carving worked in a rounded mass, belonging to the early Renaissance. The martyrdom of Saint Sebastian was one of the most represented during the Renaissance, since it allowed the artists to study the anatomy of a young and naked body. The sculpture in question presents the elements that were of most interest in the period: the precise shaping of the limbs, the anatomical beauty, the supple musculature and the serenity of a face that remains oblivious to suffering. It is rather melancholy that is conveyed by the countenance. The quality of the carving is evident in every detail: the curved breasts, the sensual draping of the drapery, the slight movement of one leg, and the twisting of the knee. Born in Gaul and raised in Milan, Sebastian was a centurion of the first cohort in the time of the emperor Diocletian (late 3rd - early 4th century). Denounced because he exhorted his friends Mark and Marcellinus to remain steadfast in their faith, by order of the emperor he was tied to a post in the centre of the Field of Mars, and served as a living target for the archers who shot him. But he did not die for it. The widow Irene, who wanted to raise his body for burial, noticed that he was still breathing, bandaged his wounds and saved his life. After he was cured, he reappeared before Diocletian to reproach him for his cruelty towards the Christians. He was then scourged, beaten to death in the circus and his corpse was thrown into the Maximian sewer.

Valorac. 6 000 - 7 000 EUR

Lote 25 - Majorcan school, circle of MIQUEL BESTARD (Palma de Mallorca, 1592 - 1633); second half of the 17th century. "The Martyrdom of Blessed Ramon Llull". Oil on canvas. It conserves its period frame. Measurements: 85 x 210 cm. In this landscape scene the author presents us with a numerous group of characters who are arranged to the sides of a saint situated in the centre of the scene, whose black clothes on the lighter tones used by the painter, show the preponderance of this figure. The artist accentuates the drama and commotion of the scene, which is clearly Flemish in origin, with a large number of figures, each captured individually, some of them showing forced foreshortening and exaggerated counterposts. Furthermore, the construction of the space in depth helps to enhance the dynamism that the author achieves in the foregrounds. The scene in general is treated with a descriptive and highly narrative language, typical of Bestard. Iconographically, the work depicts the martyrdom of Ramon Llull (c. 1232 - 1315/1316), who was a philosopher, theologian, poet, missionary and Christian apologist from the Kingdom of Mallorca. He invented a philosophical system known as the Art, conceived as a kind of universal logic to demonstrate the truth of Christian doctrine to interlocutors of all religions and nationalities. The Art consists of a set of general principles and combinatorial operations. In 1314, at the age of 82, Llull travelled again to Tunis, possibly motivated by correspondence between King James II of Aragon and al-Lihyani, the Hafsid caliph, indicating that the caliph wished to convert to Christianity. Although Llull had encountered difficulties during his previous visits to North Africa, this time he was allowed to operate without interference from the authorities due to improved relations between Tunisia and Aragon. The circumstances of his death remain unknown. He probably died sometime between then and March 1316, either in Tunis, on the ship on the return voyage, or in Mallorca on his return. From its formal characteristics we can attribute this work to Miquel Bestard, a Mallorcan painter trained in the Mannerist tradition and active in the early Baroque. His production can be grouped into two distinct blocks: religious painting on the one hand, executed for different Mallorcan churches and convents, and profane motifs on the other, which include views of Mallorca from the port, the fires of Troy and naval battles. The latter are large works, and earned the artist the nickname of "the mad painter" due to the fantasy and extravagance of his landscapes. He also produced works related to the figure of Ramon Llull, such as "Scenes from the life of Ramon Llull" (private collection), "Stoning of Ramon Llull" (Sant Francesc church, Palma), "Ramon Llull at the Council of Vienne" (idem) and "Ramon Llull" (Col-legi de la Sapiència, Palma). Within his religious production, his canvases dedicated to the Inmaculada de Can Vivot and the churches of Monti-Sion, Sant Francesc and San Alonso Rodríguez (Palma) are particularly noteworthy. On occasions, Bestard combined religious themes with landscape painting, generally in works of considerable size, including paintings such as "Martyrdom of Saints" (private collection, Palma) and "Mythological Fable" (idem). Bestard was, despite his early death, a successful painter, with abundant and ambitious commissions, as can be deduced from his use of monumental formats, and hence he was able to devote himself freely to such a varied subject matter, which included landscape and mythology as well as the religious themes typical of the period. He was even known outside Mallorca, as evidenced by several commissions from Catalonia. Property inventories of the period confirm that there were many works by his hand in Mallorca, probably part of a serial production that the painter easily sold.

Valorac. 10 000 - 12 000 EUR

Lote 26 - Circle of MICHEL COXCIE (Mechelen, Belgium, 1499 - 1592). "Christ of the Nazarene", 16th century. Oil on panel. Engatillada. Size: 104 x 110 cm. In this work of devotional character the author closely follows the model of the Nazarene established by Michel Coxcie (see the oil painting "Christ with the Cross on His Back" from 1555 kept in the Prado Museum). This is a painter of the same period as the Flemish master. There are clear similarities in composition and framing as well as in the Italianate style, although the present work also features a soldier. The imposing cross seems to protrude from the foreground, with its wooden arms forming rounded volumes. Despite this, Christ embraces it rather than carrying it. This embrace symbolises the acceptance of martyrdom for the purpose of redemption. The hands, with their long fingers, thus take centre stage, together with the face. The wiry countenance, with closed eyelids, communicates contained suffering. The blood pearls on the forehead, pierced by thorns. The colour ranges are soft, so that the features are softened. We are still a long way from baroque dramatism. Much closer are the models of the Florentine Renaissance. Michel Coxcie was a Flemish painter, known as the Raphael of the Low Countries because of his great success in the Romanist style. He began his artistic training with Bernard van Orley in Brussels and subsequently travelled to Haarlem and Rome, where he lived around 1530-39, where he developed the technique of fresco mural painting, the first Nordic master to practise it. In 1532 he decorated the chapel of Cardinal Enckenvoirt in the Roman church of Santa Maria dell'Anima, for which he achieved a certain reputation in Italy, and Giorgio Vasari acknowledged that Coxcie had successfully adopted the Italian style. Back in the Low Countries, Coxcie entered the guild of Saint Luke in Mechelen in 1539. Shortly afterwards he moved to Brussels and in 1546 he worked as chamber painter to Mary of Hungary, Philip II's aunt, filling the vacancy left by the late Van Orley. He was a prolific artist due to the fact that in addition to paintings, altarpieces, frescoes and portraits he produced designs for prints, stained glass and tapestries. His work, as the Museo del Prado describes, is characterised by his particular attention to the depiction of female figures, which are always elegant and well-proportioned, while his male figures are more stylised and stiff.

Valorac. 14 000 - 16 000 EUR

Lote 27 - JUAN DE LA ABADÍA (documented in Aragon in the last third of the 15th century). "Saint John the Baptist led to prison". Oil on wood. Measurements: 111 x 69 cm. In this scene St. John the Baptist is represented entering the prison, a subject little represented that sometimes has a composition similar to that of the Prison of Christ. John the Baptist is depicted with his usual tributes: he is barefoot and covers his body with the characteristic camel's skin. He enters the prison where he was imprisoned by King Herod Antipas. The soldiers exchange impressions among themselves, showing a variety of attitudes towards the event. Spanish painter belonging to the Hispano-Flemish style in Aragon. Documented in Huesca, where he opened his workshop between 1469 and 1498, the date of his death. From 1489 onwards, his son Juan de la Abadía "el Joven" collaborated with him in the workshop and the two of them even contracted the altarpieces of Lastanosa (1490) and San Pedro de Biescas (1493). Gudiol establishes the hypothesis of the Catalan training of Juan de la Abadía "the Elder" and of his collaboration on some altarpieces in Barcelona with Pedro García de Benabarre, with whom the style of Juan de la Abadía "the Elder" shows points of contact, as well as with that of Jaume Huguet. The best known period of his activity corresponds to the last two decades of his life, from which a greater number of documented works are preserved, among them the "altarpieces of Sorripas", of El Salvador de Broto, Huesca (Museum of Zaragoza) or of "Santa Catalina" of the church of La Magdalena in Huesca (very scattered). The "Retablo de Santo Domingo" from the hermitage of Almudévar, Huesca (1490), which served as a starting point for Post in 1941 to designate this painter as Master of Almudévar, a few years before Ricardo del Arco made his identity known in 1945, also dates from those last years. From the earliest documented works in Huesca, such as the "Altarpiece of Santa Quiteria" in the church of the castle of Alquézar, we can see Juan de la Abadía's interest in representing the angular folds of the canvases, which are much harder in his later works, as is the more intense modelling. The painter shows the figures with a somewhat rough character, isolated and strongly modelled, with their realistic faces endowed with great expressiveness. His works are in the Museo del Prado.

Valorac. 20 000 - 25 000 EUR

Lote 28 - JUAN DE LA ABADÍA (documented in Aragon in the last third of the 15th century). "Saint John the Baptist preaching". Oil on wood. Measurements: 111 x 69 cm. This scene represents Saint John the Baptist preaching in the Palestinian desert. According to the gospel legend, the inhabitants of Judea went to him to listen to him and to be baptised. John the Baptist is depicted with his usual tributes: he is barefoot and covers his body with the characteristic camel's skin. The disciples and listeners exchange impressions among themselves, showing a variety of attitudes to John's words. Spanish painter belonging to the Hispano-Flemish style in Aragon. Documented in Huesca, where he opened his workshop between 1469 and 1498, the date of his death. From 1489 onwards, his son Juan de la Abadía "el Joven" collaborated with him in the workshop and the two of them even contracted the altarpieces of Lastanosa (1490) and San Pedro de Biescas (1493). Gudiol establishes the hypothesis of the Catalan training of Juan de la Abadía "the Elder" and of his collaboration on some altarpieces in Barcelona with Pedro García de Benabarre, with whom the style of Juan de la Abadía "the Elder" shows points of contact, as well as with that of Jaume Huguet. The best known period of his activity corresponds to the last two decades of his life, from which a greater number of documented works are preserved, among them the "Sorripas altarpieces" of El Salvador de Broto, Huesca (Museum of Zaragoza) or the "Santa Catalina" of the church of La Magdalena in Huesca (very scattered). The "Retablo de Santo Domingo" from the hermitage of Almudévar, Huesca (1490), which served as a starting point for Post in 1941 to designate this painter as Master of Almudévar, a few years before Ricardo del Arco made his identity known in 1945, also dates from those last years. From the earliest documented works in Huesca, such as the "Altarpiece of Santa Quiteria" in the church of the castle of Alquézar, we can see Juan de la Abadía's interest in representing the angular folds of the canvases, which are much harder in his later works, as is the more intense modelling. The painter shows the figures with a somewhat rough character, isolated and strongly modelled, with their realistic faces endowed with great expressiveness. His works are in the Museo del Prado.

Valorac. 20 000 - 22 000 EUR

Lote 29 - LUCA GIORDANO (Naples, 1634 - 1705). "Holy Family with St. John". Oil on canvas. Relined. It preserves Italian frame of the seventeenth century in carved and gilded wood. Signed in the lower left corner. Provenance: Wells College Museum, Aurora (United States) and private collection, Madrid. Measurements: 83 x 104 cm; 108 x 130.5 cm (frame). Bibliography: Milkovich, M. (dir.). Luca Giordano in America. Memphis: 1964, p. 38. - Ferrari, O. and Scavizzi, G. Luca Giordano. Naples: 1966, vol. II, p. 49 and vol. III, fig. 89. -Fredericksen, B. B. and Zeri, F. Census of Pre-Nineteenth-Century Italian Paintings in North American Public Collections. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1972, pp. 85 and 554. - Ferrari, O. and Scavizzi, G. Luca Giordano. L'opera completa. Naples: Electa, 1992, vol. I, p. 263, cat. no. A86. -Sotheby's New York, Master Paintings & Sculpture: Part II, cat. exp. 29 January 2015. Luca Giordano is one of the most relevant figures of the European Baroque. A prolific painter, his career developed between his native Naples and the court of Madrid, where he resided between 1692 and 1702. His early biographers indicate that he was trained in the style of Ribera, whose style he imitated during his early years. His ability to imitate and copy the old masters would lead him to imitate the style of Rafael Sanzio, as shown in some of the paintings preserved in the Prado Museum. His time in Venice and Rome is also evident in his work, especially with regard to Pietro da Cortona. A good example of this is this Holy Family with St. John, dated by Ferrari and Scavizzi around 1660. It shows the physical types of Cortona's paintings such as his Adoration of the Shepherds of San Salvatore in Lauro. On the other hand, the space with classical ruins in which the figures are inserted is related to contemporary paintings by Giordano as his St. Anne with the Child Virgin of the Church of the Assumption in Chiaia (1657) or Christ among the doctors of Bolognese private collection (ca. 1660). The painting was first documented in 1664 by Milkovich in the Wells College Museum in Aurora. It was also collected there by Ferrari and Scavizzi in 1992, who also studied it and dated it to around 1660." Luca Giordano, the most outstanding Neapolitan painter of the late 17th century, and one of the main representatives of the late 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. Bibliography: Milkovich, M. (dir.). Luca Giordano in America. Memphis: 1964, p. 38. - Ferrari, O. and Scavizzi, G. Luca Giordano. Naples: 1966, vol. II, p. 49 and vol. III, fig. 89. -Fredericksen, B. B. and Zeri, F. Census of Pre-Nineteenth-Century Italian Paintings in North American Public Collections. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1972, pp. 85 and 554. - Ferrari, O. and Scavizzi, G. Luca Giordano. L'opera completa. Naples: Electa, 1992, vol. I, p. 263, cat. no. A86. -Sotheby's New York, Master Paintings & Sculpture: Part II, Cat. exp. 29 January 2015.

Valorac. 70 000 - 90 000 EUR

Lote 30 - GIL DE ENCINAS (Zamora, active late 15th-early 16th century). "Saint Bartholomew, Saint Jerome, Saint Sebastian and Saint Catherine". Set of four panel paintings. It will be accompanied by a report issued by Dr. Irune Fiz Fuertes, a specialist in 16th century Zamora painting. Provenance: - Pellisson Collection. On a label attached to the frame of the panels, handwritten inscription in blue ink: Mr George Pelisson. Each panel has a number which may correspond to the sales catalogue of this collection. All these works belonged to the same large altarpiece of which the elements of the predella undoubtedly formed part. Exportable. They show repainting and treated xylophages. With lack of polychromy and flaws in the wood of some of the frames. Some parts of the frames have been restored. The frames are made of gilded wood and have inscriptions in classical letters drawn in sgraffito on the background in gold leaf. Measurements: 58 x 43 cm; 72 x 52 cm (frame). This exceptional set of four panels attributed to Gil de Encinas represents each saint standing in front of a low wall decorated with a portico. Each image opens onto a lake or mountain landscape and is recognisable by its physical type or attributes, described according to Jacques de Voragine's Golden Legend: the knife and the devil in chains for Saint Bartholomew, the cardinal's habit and lion for Saint Jerome, the arrows of Saint Sebastian's martyrdom and the princess's diadem, the wheel and sword of Saint Catherine's martyrdom. The upper part of each panel is adorned with an ornamental arch surrounding the figures, carved in gilded wood and decorated with tracery that tops the image of each saint. Scholars of the artist link Gil de Encinas, a painter from Zamora whose biography is scarcely known, with the prolific school of the Master of Astorga, especially with his production in Zamora. The Master of Astorga is considered one of the leading artists of Renaissance Castile. It is true that not much biographical information is known about the artist, so that his name is unknown, although he was active in León at the beginning of the 16th century. He painted the Altarpiece of Saint Michael in Astorga cathedral, the Nativity of Christ with Saint Dominic and Saint Lawrence and the History of Saint James in the collection of the Museo Lázaro Galdiano and the five panels in the collection of the Museo del Prado in Madrid. The panel of the Nativity with Saint Dominic and Saint Lawrence (Madrid, Museo Lázaro Galdiano) is particularly noteworthy as a valid point of comparison. There seems to be an eloquent comparison with the Nativity, an element of the Torre de Luzea triptych (Zarauz, Guipúzcoa, Banco Hispano Americano) by the Master of Zamora or working in the first third of the 16th century, where we find numerous points in common: the same setting, the same situation of the figures within the architecture and landscape, identical oblong and well-characterised faces of the figures and similar treatment of the clothing.

Valorac. 55 000 - 60 000 EUR

Lote 31 - SEBASTIÁN MARTÍNEZ DOMEDEL (Jaén, around 1615 - Madrid, 1667). "Saint Peter Penitent". Oil on canvas. Re-tinted. There are flaws in the pictorial surface. Measures: 43 x 34 cm. In this devotional painting, the face of the apostle Peter is turned towards heaven, appealing for divine intervention. His features reveal the characteristic workmanship of the Baroque painter Martínez Domedel, whose aged male models, rendered in a naturalistic style and whose faces are illuminated by bright watery eyes, are repeated in various compositions. The overhead light skilfully models the features with protruding cheekbones and frizzy beard. The intense expressiveness of this model can be compared with those that the painter used in the Evangelists in Jaén Cathedral. In particular, the definition of the face and expressiveness are very reminiscent of Saint Luke. The wrinkles that furrow the forehead have been resolved in a style that identifies Martínez Domedel. The specialist Rafael Mantas Fernández (Instituto de Estudios Jienenses. Jaén, 2019) defines his work as follows: "he wastes great pictorial qualities in the definition of the anatomies of his sacred images, which embody real characters taken from the street... with a psychological tension, which incited the faithful of the 17th century to prayer, perfectly fulfilling the Tridentine postulates of the time". Sebastián Martínez Domedel was located by Palomino in Jaén, training with Antonio García Reinoso. His style is eclectic and marked by a strong influence of naturalist painting and by the concomitances of other contemporary artists such as Antonio del Castillo, Alonso Cano and José de Ribera. He began his training in Jaén in his father's studio, where he acquired the basic knowledge of the art of painting. He was able to complete his studies with the local painter Cristóbal Vela Cobo. Later he moved to Cordoba, a stay which enriched his style and brought him into contact with artists of the time. After his years of apprenticeship he soon became the most famous painter in the city of Jaén. Around the 1650s and 1660s he reached the maturity of his style and was in demand by important religious institutions and prominent civil figures in 17th-century society. The last years of his life were spent in Madrid, where he was appointed court painter to Philip IV, enriching his repertoire of images and compositional solutions after contemplating the works of important artists at the Royal Sites and above all at the Royal Monastery of El Escorial.

Valorac. 3 500 - 4 000 EUR

Lote 32 - Flemish school of the 17th century. "Female bust. Carved wood. Measurements: 29 x 25 cm. Feminine bust that presents the image of a lady with the head slightly inclined, whose braided and curled hairstyle reminds us of the Flemish ladies of the 17th century. The dress is also typical of the Flemish society of the 17th century, worked in detail simulating high quality brocades. The bodice she wears narrows her waist and enhances her breasts.

Valorac. 2 000 - 2 500 EUR

Lote 33 - Valladolid School of the XVI century. "St. Peter and St. Paul. Pair of reliefs in carved wood. Measurements: 106 x 34 cm (each one). Both relief plaques, from an altarpiece, represent St. Peter and St. Paul in two niches with scallops. Spain is, at the beginning of the 16th century, the European nation best prepared to receive the new humanist concepts of life and art due to its spiritual, political and economic conditions, although from the point of view of the plastic forms, its adaptation of those implanted by Italy was slower due to the need to learn the new techniques and to change the taste of the clientele. Sculpture reflects perhaps better than other artistic fields this eagerness to return to the classical Greco-Roman world that exalts in its nudes the individuality of man, creating a new style whose vitality surpasses the mere copy. Soon the anatomy, the movement of the figures, the compositions with a sense of perspective and balance, the naturalistic play of the folds, the classical attitudes of the figures began to be valued; but the strong Gothic tradition maintains the expressiveness as a vehicle of the deep spiritualistic sense that informs our best Renaissance sculptures. This strong and healthy tradition favors the continuity of religious sculpture in polychrome wood that accepts the formal beauty offered by Italian Renaissance art with a sense of balance that avoids its predominance over the immaterial content that animates the forms. In the first years of the century, Italian works arrived in our lands and some of our sculptors went to Italy, where they learned first hand the new norms in the most progressive centers of Italian art, whether in Florence or Rome, and even in Naples. Upon their return, the best of them, such as Berruguete, Diego de Siloe and Ordóñez, revolutionized Spanish sculpture through Castilian sculpture, even advancing the new mannerist, intellectualized and abstract derivation of the Italian Cinquecento, almost at the same time as it was produced in Italy.

Valorac. 6 000 - 7 000 EUR

Lote 34 - JACOPO MARIESCHI (Venice, 1711-1794). "St. Francis of Paola" and "St. Anthony Abbot". Oil on canvas. Later stretcher frames and frames. Measurements: 38 x 29.5 cm; 50 x 41 cm (frame). Painter sometimes confused with the contemporary vedutista Michele Marieschi, Jacopo Marieschi specialized in history painting, although he also worked on religious themes. One of the canvases depicts Francisco de Paula, identified by the legend "Charitas", the saint's motto, which appears in the lower margin. The other image depicts St. Anthony of Padua or Lisbon (Lisbon, ca. 1191 to 1195 - Padua, 1231) was a Franciscan friar, preacher and theologian, revered for his miracles and as a saint and Doctor of the Church, who was first a member of the Order of Canons Regular of St. Augustine, until he became a Franciscan in 1220. St. Anthony of Padua is, after St. Francis of Assisi, the most popular of the Franciscan saints. He is depicted as a beardless youth in broad monastic tonsure, dressed in habit, and usually appears with the Infant Jesus, holding him in his arms, alluding to an apparition he had in his cell. It became the most popular attribute of this saint from the 16th century onwards, being especially popular in the Baroque art of the Counter-Reformation. Saint Francis of Paola (1416-1507) was an Italian hermit, founder of the Order of Minims. At a very young age he began his life as a hermit on the outskirts of his native town of Paula. Little by little he acquired fame for his prodigies, and around 1450 there was already a group of followers around his figure. His community grew, and in 1470 the Congregation of Hermits (the future Order of Minims) received diocesan approval from the Archbishop of Consenza. Four years later, Pope Sixtus IV granted them pontifical approval. In 1483 Francis of Paola went to France by order of the Pope and at the request of King Louis XI. There he developed some diplomatic work in favor of the Holy See, at the same time that he tried to obtain the approval of a Rule for his congregation, which he finally obtained in 1493.

Valorac. 5 000 - 5 500 EUR

Lote 35 - French school of the 17th century. "Saint Sebastian". Polychrome carving. Measurements: 88 cm. In this work, Saint Sebastian is represented tied to the tree, although he does not keep the arrows already stuck in his body. Of young and athletic aspect, as it is normal in the representation of Saint Sebastian, he looks ahead with his head slightly lowered, accepting his martyrdom with serenity and faith. As is common in the imagery of this period, the scene has been depicted with great dramatism, seeking to transmit to the faithful the suffering of the saint, his physical pain, through the depiction of his posture. The polychromy seeks naturalism in the flesh tones.

Valorac. 6 000 - 7 000 EUR

Lote 36 - Italian school; second half of the seventeenth century. "Battle scene". Oil on canvas. It presents restorations in the pictorial surface. It has a frame of the twentieth century. Measurements: 38.5 x 51 cm; 51 x 64 cm (frame). In this canvas a historical theme is represented, a violent battle in a natural scenery dominated by a moving sky, which determines a very gloomy illumination, of shines and half shadows. The action is concentrated in the foreground, where several soldiers on horseback fight violently, captured in complicated foreshortenings well resolved by the painter. Beyond the foreground, the narration becomes confused, the characters blurred by the effect of distance, thus achieving a convincing atmospheric impression. Through his loose brushstrokes, the work expresses a dynamic, theatrical, narrative and expressive style, supported by a solid handling of light, composition and color. Thus, we see an apparently chaotic scene, although rigorously studied, that reflects with naturalism the din of the fight, the violence of the confrontation, a violence that is also reflected in the chromatism itself, warm and fiery. In addition, the subject matter is allusive to a historical fact, which was a very common thematic resource during this period. The historicist incursions at first were inspired by scenes from Christian history, scenes from mythology or classical antiquity, however, in this case the scene is captured from a realistic point of view despite the brushstroke, the author has conceived the work as if it were a documentary element, presenting himself as a witness of the events. History painting was traditionally considered the most important genre. This preeminence was explained by a certain concept that art had to propose noble and credible examples. Therefore, the superiority of those artistic works in which what was narrated was considered elevated or noble was defended. However, in this case, as mentioned above, the author does not seek to narrate a story, but rather to show the gesture of the action, the chaos and the movement of a war battle. It presents restorations in the pictorial surface.

Valorac. 3 000 - 3 500 EUR

Lote 37 - Spanish school of the XVIII century. Following models of BARTOLOMÉ ESTEBAN MURILLO (Seville, 1618-1682). "The Good Shepherd". Oil on canvas. Relined. Measurements: 61 x 48 cm, 75 x 60 cm (frame). Following models of Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, copy of the original of the Prado Museum. Murillo has gone down in history as one of the great painters of children's themes, and this not only for his famous genre scenes starring children, but also for representations like this one, in which the Child Jesus appears in the biblical metaphor of the good shepherd who feeds and cares for his sheep. This is a type of image of great success among the Sevillian society of the time, and whose devotional effectiveness has remained intact through the centuries. In this type of work, which in many cases was intended for private worship, the author showed himself to be a true master when it came to combining a wise and delicate style with a gentle and sweet content. However, owner as he was of a powerful sense of composition, he endowed them with remarkable monumentality and balance. The ruins of architecture that appear in the background have a double meaning. On the one hand, they are part of a Virgilian tradition that is manifested in literature and the plastic arts and that likes the image of the shepherd among the fallen remains of a splendorous past. On the other hand, Christian iconography frequently used the reference to classical ruins as a symbol of defeated paganism. Relined.

Valorac. 2 000 - 2 200 EUR

Lote 38 - Venetian school; XVI century. "St. Peter and St. Paul". Bronze and marble base. Measurements: 17,5 x 5 cm; 18 x 8 x 4,5 cm; 7 x 6,5 x 6,5 x 6,5 cm (bases,x2). Pair of sculptures made in gilded bronze, except for the nimbus sanctity. Aesthetically the two figures show a great quality in the modeling of the elongated and delicate forms added to the great lightness provided by the movement of the drapery and its folds. Both figures have a religious theme as they represent St. Peter, holding the keys and St. Paul with his usual attributes. It is clear the influence of neoclassicism in these sculptures, not only for the modeling of both pieces that shows a perfect knowledge of classical anatomy, but also for the elegant pose adopted by the figures, which stand out for their great stylization. They are pieces of exceptional quality, reminiscent to a great extent of a figure of St. Philip attributed to the artistic circle of Sansovino and a reference in the Cleveland Museum Catalog. This type of pieces were worked in a meticulous and exquisite way, paying so much attention to detail as can be seen in the treatment of the clothing and facial features that in both cases are completely individualized. Aesthetically this couple is related to the Venetian school, which is described thanks to elegance, and opulence. Characteristics of a booming city, with a great trade linked to a strategic geographical location, gateway to the East. Venice became a school that delved into both Western and Eastern traditions, resulting in a vaporous aesthetic shown from a magnificent point of view.

Valorac. 5 500 - 6 000 EUR

Lote 39 - Neapolitan school, possibly SEBASTIANO CONCA (Gaeta 1680 - Naples, 1764); XVIII century. "The Adoration of the Shepherds". Oil on canvas. Measurements: 53 x 41 cm. The adoration of the shepherds is a traditional theme in the world of art in which Jesus is presented to us as a king. A humble king who is born in a haystack. In this case the work has been conceived in a theatrical way with the presence of the Child in the center as usual and a large number of characters who adore his presence and pay him homage. The artist has moved the figures to the background leaving a slight space in the foreground that gives spatiality to the work and also a certain lightness that facilitates the compression of a composition with so many characters. The light seems to radiate directly from the body of the Child, whose luminosity is further enhanced by the white cloth that surrounds him. This light illuminates the face of the Virgin, highlighting it against the background, and affects other points of the composition creating an expressive and effective play of chiaroscuro, typically baroque. Aesthetically the work is very reminiscent of Sebastiano Conca, an Italian painter active during the Baroque period. One of the most acclaimed artists of his time, he had the opportunity to produce large-scale works, in which he combined the grandeur typical of the late Baroque and the classicist style of Carlo Maratta.

Valorac. 4 000 - 5 000 EUR

Lote 40 - Attributed to VIVIANO CODAZZI (Italy, 1604/06 - 1670). "Capriccio". Oil on canvas. Relined. It presents an old restoration and some losses. The frame presents faults in the gilding. Measurements: 100 x 126 cm; 110 x 136 cm (frame). Painting of Italian school and Baroque period attributed to Viviano Codazzi. The pictorial quality and the theme of the ruins sublimated by means of architectural fantasies leads the experts to deduce the authorship of this great Italian painter. Under a sky covered with wind-laden clouds, a ruinous architecture that condenses attributes of different Greco-Roman temples, of which only the memory and the annotation of some traveler remained, is cut out imposingly. The tall Corinthian columns are eaten away by age and the scars of war. The statues have lost their heads or limbs, and moss grows in every crevice. The lives of the human groups scattered between the lagoon and the porticoes are relaxed. Their clothing is typical of the period to which the painter belongs. The quality of the backlighting and the right chromatic ranges that enhance the architectural beauty and its mystery stand out. Italian Baroque painter born in Valdassina, near Bergamo, Viviano Codazzi specialized in the painting of architecture, covering various genres such as the "quadratura" (decorative genre derived from trompe l'oeil), the painting of ruins or the "capricci", although he also painted several "vedute". He is in fact recognized today as one of the first painters of "vedute", both in its fantastic and realistic aspects, and in fact his work will exert a notable influence on Canaletto and Bernardo Bellotto. He developed a personal language that, in contrast to the heroic character of the landscape derived from the Carracci, imaginatively interprets buildings and ruins, but always respecting verisimilitude, playing with lighting to obtain typically baroque expressive effects, which enhance the appearance of the ancient-looking buildings, populated by small popular characters. Codazzi grew up in Rome, where his family moved to in 1605, and as an adult he settled in Naples around 1633. There he trained as a disciple of Cosimo Fanzago, and his style matured, focusing on architectural painting. In Naples he worked on commissions such as those for the Certosa di San Martino, obtained through Cosimo Fanzago, also born in Bergamo. His major project in Naples was a series of four large canvases depicting scenes from Ancient Rome for the Buen Retiro Palace in Madrid, including one depicting gladiatorial combat in the Colosseum. Since he was a painter who specialized in architectural painting, the figures in this series were made by Domenico Gargiulo. In fact, this type of collaboration would be a constant in his career. Gargiulo was his main collaborator in Naples, but after returning to Rome following the Masaniello revolt in 1647, Codazzi will work with the Bamboccianti, mostly Dutch painters, and especially with Michelangelo Cerquozzi and Jan Miel. He also collaborated with Filippo Lauri, Adrien van der Cabel and Vicente Giner, already in the 1660s. The Bamboccianti, painters gathered around the figure of Pieter van Laer "Bamboccio", will exert a notable influence on Codazzi's mature style. He had several disciples and faithful followers, among them Ascanio Luciano and Andrea di Michele, in Naples, and also his son Niccolò Codazzi, Vicente Giner (who settled in Spain) and Domenico Roberti. Within his production it is worth mentioning for its originality his representation of the "Basilica of St. Peter" (1636), an unusual work within the genre of the "veduta". Painted in Naples, this painting shows the old entrance to the Vatican palace, destroyed when the Sala Regia and Bernini's colonnade were built, as well as two bell towers based on an engraving of the architect Martino Ferabosco's project, which was never built. One of his best known works is the representation of the Masaniello revolt in the Piazza del Mercato in Naples, with figures by Cerquozzi, which he made for Cardinal Bernardino Spada in 1648 (now in the Galleria Spada in Rome). Apart from these singular works, most of his paintings are medium format paintings, starring architectures in landscape settings. Works by Viviano Codazzi are currently held in the Museo del Prado, the Louvre, the Bowes Museum in County Durham (U.K.), the Indiana University Art Museum, the Minneapolis Institute of Art and the Walters Art Museum, among other public and private collections.

Valorac. 10 000 - 12 000 EUR

Lote 41 - Andalusian school; 17th century. ‘The Last Supper’. Oil on copper. It has a 19th century frame in gilded and carved wood with faults. Measurements: 22 x 17 cm; 45 x 41 cm (frame). The Last Supper is one of the most important representations in the history of Western art. Firstly, because it is the concrete moment in which the sacrament of the Eucharist is established, since Jesus at that supper made the analogy between his body and the bread, and the wine and his blood. Secondly, the mythical scene, which was painted by Leonardo, laid the foundations of Renaissance aesthetics, thus contributing a conception of perspective that was hegemonic until well into the 20th century. In this particular case, the scene reflects this aesthetic based on the Leonardesque composition. Despite the fact that all the figures are located in the form of a frieze, the artist has established several planes that give a certain depth to the whole. These are defined by the apostles in front of or behind the table, and by the anecdotal elements in the foreground, such as the jar in allusion to two of Jesus' best-known miracles and Christ's own gesture as he moves his body towards Saint John. Formally, the scene is part of academicism, and therefore follows classical rules, the first of which is its high technical quality. Thus, the drawing is rigorous and firm, with great anatomical perfection. Academicism is a direct legacy of classicism, hence the predilection for themes such as the one we present here, taken from religion, although captured from a sensual and decorative point of view far removed from the solemnity of ancient classical art. This also explains the way in which the subject is approached. Nevertheless, we can appreciate an ideal of beauty that is not based on reality, although the painter's study of nature is undeniable, but rather an idealism based on reality through his sum of experience, that is to say, an aesthetic sublimation that reflects a beauty that transcends reality. Baroque 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, with the works sometimes being financed by popular subscription.Painting was thus obliged to express the prevailing ideals in these circles, which were none other than religious ideals, at a time when Counter-Reformation doctrine demanded that art should use realistic language so that the faithful could understand and identify with what was represented, and an expression endowed with intense emotional content to increase the fervour and devotion of the people. The religious theme was therefore the subject matter.

Valorac. 2 500 - 3 000 EUR

Lote 42 - Spanish school of the XVIII century. After PIETER VAN AVONT (Mecheln 1600-1652). "Holy Family and San Juanito". Oil on copper. Presents restoration and Repainting. Measurements: 22 x 17 cm; 32 x 27 cm (frame). This painting follows closely the original painting by Pieter Van Avont in which, as here, represents the Holy Family accompanied by San Juanito. Flemish painter, draughtsman and engraver of the early Baroque period, Peeter van Avont specialized in portraiture, religious (mainly of the Holy Family) and historical subjects, and also made copies of great contemporary masters such as Rubens or Van Dyck. In 1620 he reached the rank of master in the painters' guild of his native Mechelen, although in 1622 we find him already in Antwerp, as a member of the Gilda of St. Luke. Settled in that city, he obtained citizenship in 1631. After marrying twice, van Avont settled in the town of Deurne, near Antwerp, where he finally died in 1652. He frequently collaborated with other masters, a common practice among Central European masters of the time, due to the great specialization by genre that occurred in the Baroque period. Thus, van Avont worked with Jan Brueghel the Elder, David Vinckboons, Lucas van Uden and Jan Wildens, among others. In his workshop he had disciples such as Frans Wouters, who finally went to Rubens' workshop in 1634 to complete his training.

Valorac. 3 000 - 4 000 EUR

Lote 43 - Spanish-Filipino school, late XVII-early XVIII century. "Saint". Polychrome wood carving. It shows wear, faults and losses. Measurements: 39 x 11 x 10 cm. Sculpture in carved wood of late-baroque period and Hispano-Filipino school. It is a devotional figure that could represent a Jesuit missionary. He has a tonsured head and wears a tunic whose sumptuousness is intuited by the chiseled notches that emulate embroidery. He carries the Gospels under his left arm. The way of resolving the folds and the hairstyle denotes a workmanship characteristic of Christian art as it developed in the workshops of the Philippines.

Valorac. 600 - 800 EUR

Lote 44 - Spanish School, XVII century. "Archangel St. Michael". Polychrome wood carving. Presents losses, dirt and lack of polychrome. The sword is missing. Measurements: 85 x 29 x 24 cm. Devotional sculpture of baroque period. It represents the archangel Michael defeating a diabolic creature. This one presents anthropomorphic attributes. Miguel is the one in charge of the celestial hosts, to defend the kingdom of the Heavens before the onslaughts of the evil. He wears the attire of a Roman soldier. The air stirs his short skirt and his dynamic gesture imprints movement to the whole, clearly responding to the stylistic parameters of the period.

Valorac. 600 - 800 EUR

Lote 45 - Flemish school; second third of the XVII century. "Apollo and Marsias". Oil on oak panel. Board reinforced in the center. It has slight Repainting. Measurements: 42 x 60,5 cm; 59 x 76 cm (frame). According to the myth Marsias got a flute, when Athena discarded it. Interested in the instrument, the faun specialized in such a way that he was acclaimed for his great virtuosity. This fame generated a conflict with Apollo, who was considered the god of the arts. For this reason both characters competed; Marsias playing the flute and Apollo the lyre. Having as judges the courtship of both; the satyrs and the nymphs. It is said that despite the great skill of Marsias, Apollo played his instrument upside down and backwards generating harmony in both cases, as Marsias could not achieve this result with the flute lost to Apollo. The figures that compose the scene have been conceived following the aesthetics of classicism, with a very marked humanist perspective. The harmony of classicism can be appreciated in the attitudes of the characters. This harmony is also reflected in the palette chosen by the painter. During the 17th century there were many painters who continued the style of the Flemish primitives, but others were so open to Renaissance influences that they even stopped painting on panel. This type of compositions were frequent in the Flemish school of the late sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, being especially represented by Gillis van Coninxloo (1544-1607) and his follower Jan Brueghel the Elder (1568-1625). In the seventeenth century we find authors such as Jasper van der Lanen, who developed narratives of sacred themes in lush landscapes with fantastic, almost magical overtones. These are meticulously represented wooded landscapes, which become the real main theme of the paintings, as in these two examples. Van der Lanen developed a style focused on the representation of the landscape, always placing religious or mythological scenes in the foreground. In these paintings, moreover, there is a certain narrative intention that brings the images closer to genre painting.

Valorac. 5 000 - 6 000 EUR

Lote 46 - GIUGLIEMO PUGI (Fiesole, 1850-1915), "The abduction of the sabines". Marble. Presents faults and restorations. Signed. Measurements: 46 x 14 x 18 cm. The sculptural group placed on a simple base is composed by two masculine figures and a feminine one, on the top, following a marked "serpentinata" line, usual in certain works of the Italian Renaissance. It shows the episode of classical mythology in which the Sabine women are abducted by the founders of the city of Rome during a banquet organized by Romulus; later, the legendary Sabine king Titus Tatius declared war on Rome, but the same women, already married and with children, intervened to prevent the massacre, desisting all fights and achieving peace and partnership between the two peoples. The present work is inspired by a work by Giambologna, made in 1589 for the ducal collection of La Loggia in Piazza della Signoria in Florence, and which was transferred in 2008 to the Galleria dell'Accademia (taking the place of the original a copy). However, it is possible to appreciate a series of changes in both sculptures, which have been made in this sculpture to bring it more in line with the tastes of the Neoclassicism of the nineteenth century. Guglielmo Pugi was an Italian sculptor whose workshop was in Florence. He and his sons, Gino and Fiorenzo, operated as Guglielmo Pugi and Sons, and the sons were later known as Fratelli G. and F. Pugi. Guglielmo Pugi's work, typical of Art Nouveau, is characterized by direct carving on alabaster and Carrara marble (mostly white or veined). As a company they were present at the 1901 Universal Exposition in Buffalo and exhibited at the Palace of Manufactures at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. Some of their sculptures are still in Buffalo parks. It presents faults and restorations.

Valorac. 2 000 - 3 000 EUR

Lote 47 - Italian school; XIX century. "Horse". Bronze. Measurements: 57 x 72 x 17 cm. During the nineteenth and twentieth century, animal-themed sculpture finally achieved its own status within the context of Romantic sculpture. Seeking to break away from the classical sculptural ideal, many artists saw in the animal theme a new way of expression, linked to the emotional and irrational nature, in a purely romantic sense. The style of this piece is part of an aesthetic trend that developed during the nineteenth century, enhanced by the travels of the European elite and inspired by the ruins and monuments of the cities. The term "Grand Tour", which first appeared in Richard Lassels' "Le Voyage d'Italie", was used to define the long journey through Europe, especially Italy, that young British aristocrats used to undertake from the 17th century onwards, but especially throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. The aim of the trip was for the young men to get to know the art and culture of France and Italy mainly, to admire classical art at first hand, to learn or improve their language skills, and to establish contacts and relationships with the cultural and political elites of these countries. Often, travelers were looking for pieces with which to start their own art collections, objects to take back to their places of residence as souvenirs. For this reason, workshops specialized in replicating Roman pieces, both in bronze and marble, sprang up, some of which acquired a great reputation.

Valorac. 6 000 - 7 000 EUR

Lote 48 - ISIDORE BONHEUR (Bordeaux, 1827-1901). "Bull charging a wolf". Bronze. Signed. Measurements: 35 x 28 x 18 cm. There is no doubt that Isidore Bonheur was a keen observer of animal nature. His bulls were often captured in movement or adopting a characteristic gesture that, as in this case, enclose the potentiality of an emphatic impulse, of a contained violence. French sculptor, Isidore-Jules Bonheur was born into a family of artists, brother of the painter Rosa Bonheur. Third son of Raymond Bonheur, Isidore took his first artistic apprenticeship from his father and his sister Rosa. In 1849, he entered the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He initially specialized in painting and presented at the Salon of 1848. Later he turned to sculpture, devoting himself to the representation of naturalistic models, especially small sculptural groups with animals. Many of his bronzes were edited by Hippolyte Peyrol. The models cast by Peyrol are exceptionally well sculpted, suggesting a strong working relationship between the caster and sculptor. He achieved success with his bulls and his sculptures of horses, which are generally depicted as relaxed rather than tense, and which are among his most famous works. He won numerous Salon medals and a gold medal at the Paris Exposition Universelle (1889).

Valorac. 2 000 - 3 000 EUR

Lote 49 - Spanish school; circa 1830. "Fernando VII". Oil on canvas. Preserves original canvas with restorations. Measurements: 70 x 58 cm. The portrait offers us the effigy of one of the most controversial Spanish monarchs, King Ferdinand VII, popularly known by the nicknames of "The Desired" and "The Felon". Recognized as a legitimate king by the Spanish people during the Napoleonic occupation, after being restored to the throne he revealed himself, however, as an absolutist sovereign, with a vengeful and treacherous personality, surrounded by a cohort of sycophants. The monarch was portrayed by painters as outstanding as Vicente López or Francisco de Goya and all these portraits show some peculiar features, which allow us to recognize the effigy in the painting we now present. The most outstanding feature is undoubtedly the marked prognathism of the lower jaw that characterized Ferdinand VII, as well as other monarchs of the Spanish crown. The jaw protrudes from the plane of the face, giving the sitter a serious, even grim expression, despite the evident youth of the model, who appears dressed as a captain general of the armies. The model presents a somewhat martial attitude, in accordance with the character of an official portrait, despite this, the artist has dispensed with any symbolic element outside the uniform of the character, and this is presented in front of a monochrome background, of dark tone, against which the figure is clearly outlined, illuminated by a frontal focus of light, external to the composition, which especially affects the face. The painter has also worked carefully on the uniform, depicting in detail each of the insignia and taking interest in the different textures of the various pieces of clothing. Preserves original cloth with restorations.

Valorac. 900 - 1 000 EUR

Lote 50 - School of WILLEM CLAESZ HEDA (Haarlem, 1594- 1680); 17th century. "Still life", Oil on oak panel. Cradled. Measurements: 28 x 36,5 cm. The trompe l'oeil generated by the folding of the white tablecloth describes the delicacy of this work, in which the whole set has an individuality defined by the quality with which each of the elements that make up the still life are painted. The author presents a scene of great verism, modeled by a gentle light and golden character, but does not renounce a certain theatricality. Aesthetically the work is reminiscent of the painting of Willem Claesz, one of the first painters who devoted most of his artistic production to the realization of still lifes, although during his first period he also made portraits and paintings of religious themes. Heda cultivated the so-called monochrome breakfast, like Pieter Claesz - reason why both artists have been confused throughout the historiography of art -, although the elements chosen are more opulent in Heda's paintings. Likewise, he was part of the guild of San Lucas since 1631. His work can currently be found in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, as well as in the Liechstentein gallery in Vienna, or in the Prado Museum and the Thyssen-Bornemisza. His brushstrokes are calm and calm, attentive to detail as he depicts all elements in an orderly, simple and structured manner. He also shows great skill in the representation of textures and in the finishing of objects, both crystalline and metallic.

Valorac. 5 000 - 6 000 EUR

Lote 51 - Flemish school; first half of the 17th century. "Naval scene". Oil on canvas. Relined. It has slight Repainting. Measurements: 58 x 93 cm; 69 x 104 cm (frame). In this canvas is reproduced in detail, a naval scene starring four large ships located in different planes. We see two of the ships placed in parallel, the third in the center and the largest one on the left side of the composition. To accentuate the drama of the scene, the painter plunges the foreground into darkness, giving the waters of the sea a dark and ominous tone, which lightens in the background, reinforcing the construction of space in depth in a scene that lacks spatial references, since it is the open sea delimited by the coast. The masts, sails and flags of the ships in the foregrounds also contribute to this construction of the scenery, which follow one after the other in depth, worked in a precise, draftsmanlike style. In fact, the scene in general is treated with a descriptive and highly narrative language. This is due to the genre itself, since the main purpose of this painting is to relate a historical fact, and not to capture the beauty of nature. The work follows the models of the artist Matthieu Van Plattenberg (1608 - 1660), who specialized in depicting brightly colored storms with turbulent, foamy seas. Van Plattenberg rarely signed or dated his works. Van Plattenberg influenced the marine painter Allessandro Grevenbroeck, a painter of Dutch descent who was active in northern Italy between 1717 and 1747. He is also considered an important precursor of Pieter Mulier, known in Italy, where he was active most of his life, as "Cavalier Pietro Tempesta". Mulier was especially known for the stormy skies of his seascapes, and Plattenberg's paintings are thought to anticipate Tempesta's early sea storms. Tempesta must have seen van Plattenberg's works in Italy. Some of Matthieu van Plattenberg's works have in the past been attributed to Mulier. Van Plattenberg should also be distinguished from Montagne of Venice (or Rinaldo della Montagna), who was also a marine painter mentioned by Cesare Malvasia in his biography of Guido Reni. It presents slight Repainting.

Valorac. 5 000 - 6 000 EUR

Lote 52 - GIROLAMO FORABOSCO (Venice, 1605 - Padua, 1679). "Joseph and the wife of Potiphar". Oil on canvas. -Bibliography: Girolamo Forabosco. Chiara Marin. Venezia Barocca. Close Edizioni. Page 457. Fig. 98 (cat.69). Measurements: 105 x 135 cm. In this magnificent painting the biblical episode of the attempt of Potiphar's wife to seduce Joseph is narrated. This one tries to flee from the embrace of the beautiful young woman, whose nudity reveals an agile and slender body. Joseph, dressed in tunic and cloak, tries not to look at her, adopting a gesture of rejection. Her sensual insinuation and frank nudity contrasts with his double layer of clothing and modesty. Since the Renaissance, this has been a much treated theme, and the artist picks up this legacy by entering into a fruitful dialogue with tradition, as is usual in his best compositions. In the flesh tones ignited by passion, in the histrionic gestures and the satin finishes of the garments, the painter succeeds in reviving the sensuality of the Venetian school, infusing it with a romantic imprint. Potiphar, who was a high official belonging to the Pharaoh's court, had acquired Joseph, who had been sold as a slave. After his diligence, Potiphar, appointed Joseph head of the house, it was at that moment, when Potiphar's wife began to notice Joseph, trying to seduce him. Taking advantage of an occasion when the house did not have any of the men in charge, the woman insinuated herself to Joseph, who fled. However, upon Potiphar's return, the woman accused Joseph of attempted rape, for which Joseph was sent to prison. Girolamo Forabosco or Gerolamo Ferrabosco was a 17th-century Venetian Baroque painter active in Padua and Venice between 1636 and 1644. After studying with Alessandro Varotari (il Padovanino) in Venice, Girolamo Forabosco was artistically influenced by Bernardo Strozzi. He was admitted to the Fraglia dei Pittori between 1634 and 1639 and was a paying member from 1640 to 1644. He adopted the compositional style and subjects of Tiberio Tinelli. By 1653 he had a studio in Padua, but the following year he was back in Venice, where he painted an altarpiece for the patriarch Federico Cornaro, who died in 1654, and a Portrait of Carlo Contarini, Doge. Throughout his career he produced a relatively small number of works, mainly portraits, a genre that secured his reputation, recovering models of sixteenth-century compositions and reviving them through a more vibrant use of color. -Bibliography: Girolamo Forabosco. Chiara Marin. Venezia Barocca. Cierre Edizioni. Page 457. Fig. 98 (cat.69).

Valorac. 13 000 - 14 000 EUR

Lote 53 - Circle of JUAN DE ANCHIETA (Azpeitia, Guipúzcoa, c. 1540 - Pamplona, 1588). "Virgin and Child. Carved wood, gilded and polychrome. It has a silver crown. Measurements: 66 x 28 x 22 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 barely worked, indicating that it is a sculpture designed to be seen only from the front 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 are clearly seen 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.

Valorac. 8 000 - 9 000 EUR

Lote 54 - MARCELLO VENUSTI (Como 1512 - 1515 - Rome). "Calvary". Oil on panel. We thank Mrs. Francesca Parrilla for her help in the expertise of the piece. Measurements: 24 x 15,5 cm; 47,5 x 41 cm (frame). It is a painting belonging to the circle of Marcello Venusti, which is deduced from the aesthetics with which the work has been conceived, which starts from a realistic pictorial language, very influenced by the art of sculpture, with a great symbolic sense that allows us two readings, the symbolic and the realistic. There is importance for the detail, with a meticulous description of the objects, nothing escapes the eye of the painter, and in this case despite the sobriety of the scene, the treatment of the cross, and the skull that lies at the feet present a delicate detailed treatment, refinement is also abandoned, real beings appear without idealistic intention. In this particular case the piece presents a great compositional similarity with the piece "Christus am Kreuz", which belongs to the collection of paintings of the state of Bavaria. The German piece attributed to Marcello Venusti is dated between 1515 and 1579. Marcello Venusti was an Italian Mannerist painter active in Rome in the mid-16th century. A native of Mazzo di Valtellina, near Como, he is said to have been a pupil of Perino del Vaga. He is best known for a scale oil copy (now Museo di Capodimonte, Naples) of Michelangelo's Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel, commissioned by Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, which was completed during the master's lifetime and met with his approval. This is the best record of what the fresco looked like before drapery was added to many of the nude figures in the 1560s, although Venusti discreetly adjusted some of the scale discrepancies between Michelangelo's figures. Several altarpieces for Roman churches, such as for the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, are also attributed to Venusti. We thank Ms. Francesca Parrilla for her help in the expertise of the piece.

Valorac. 30 000 - 40 000 EUR

Lote 55 - GIUSEPPE VASI (Sicily, 1710 - Rome, 1782). "Raccotta delle piu belle vedute antiche e moderne di Roma". Book composed of 115 engravings (Views of Rome). It shows wear and tears on the spine. Measurements: 32 x 43 x 3 cm. Giuseppe Vasi was an architect and engraver, born in Corleone, Sicily, although he would later move to Rome, where he would develop a good part of his career. Between 1746 and 1761 he would publish 10 volumes of engravings, more than 240 "vedutas", landscape views of the city of Rome. Among Vasi's disciples was, for example, Giovanni Battista Piranesi.

Valorac. 25 000 - 28 000 EUR

Lote 56 - Italian school; XVI century. "St. Francis and St. Dominic of Guzman". Oil on panel. Measurements: 45.5 x 34 cm; 47 x 34 cm. Pair of boards in which the bust of a saint is appreciated in both cases. Both the format, as well as the composition and the technique of each one of the works indicate that in origin both were part of a bigger cycle where other saints were surely represented. This theme reflects the existing harmony between the Franciscans and Dominicans, based on the meeting of these two saints, in which Saint Dominic pronounced these words: "The two of us have to work closely together to achieve the Kingdom of God". In fact, for centuries there has existed the custom that every year, on the feast day of St. Francis, the Dominican fathers go to the Franciscan convents to celebrate the feast with them, and on the feast day of St. Dominic the Franciscan fathers go to the Dominican convents. According to the story, St. Dominic in Rome, asking the Pope to approve the foundation of his Order, had an ecstasy: He saw Christ suspended in the air and in an attitude of throwing three spears that he had in his hand over the world because of the corruption that reigned on earth. The Virgin Mary, seeing her son in such a state, exclaimed: 'My son, what are you going to do? Have compassion on mankind. I am going to provide you with two faithful servants who will fight to subdue the world to your will.' Christ replied to his Mother 'I would like you to present these two men to me.'Our Lady presented Dominic of Guzman and Francis of Assisi to Christ: he then said: 'Indeed these are truly my servants. I am sure that they will put great effort into doing what you have said Mother.' The next day after the vision and while Dominic was in the church in Rome, he met Francis at Mass. The two embraced and kissed, and Dominic said to him: 'You are my companion; with me you will travel the world. Let us establish between us a commitment to collaboration. With the economy of the State broken, the nobility in decline and the high clergy burdened with heavy taxes, it was the monasteries, the parishes and the confraternities of clerics and laymen who promoted its development, and the works were sometimes financed by popular subscription. Painting was thus forced to capture the prevailing ideals in these environments, which were none other than religious ones, at a time when a realistic language was demanded of art so that the faithful would understand and identify with what was represented, and an expression endowed with an intense emotional content to increase the fervor and devotion of the people. The religious subject is, therefore, the most recurrent theme.

Valorac. 9 000 - 10 000 EUR

Lote 57 - Attributed to BARTHOLOMEUS SPRANGER (Antwerp, 1546 - Prague, 1611). "Holy Family". Oil on copper. It has a frame of bone and lapis lazuli with iron support. Measurements: 30 x 24,5 cm; 37,5 x 31 cm (frame). The Virgin and Child, St. Joseph, and St. John form a closed and intimate group in this baroque painting. Gestures and gestures converge towards the center of the scene where Jesus stands with an open book, pointing to one of the pages under the watchful eye of his cousin. The figure of St. Joseph is in the background, but even so, his monumentality reflects his relevance both in the image and in the biblical portrait. The light also has an intense effect on the maternity, so that the flesh tones of Mary and Jesus 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. A whole play of qualities that increases the sumptuousness with which the author has immortalized this scene, to which he adds the presence of a procession of angels with colorful wings and garments. The scene abandons the manger of the biblical story to inhabit a classical architecture of great monumentality that harmonizes with the rotundity of the figures. Stylistically the work is close to the painting of Bartholomeus Spranger in fact there is a later engraving by Jan Sadeler I in which this same model of Bartholomeus Spranger is collected. Flemish painter, draughtsman, sculptor and engraver. He worked in Prague as court artist to the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II, and responded to the aesthetic preferences of his patron by developing a version of the artistic style known as Northern Mannerism. Spranger's style, which combined elements of Netherlandish painting and Italian influences, particularly from the Roman Mannerists, exerted a great influence on other artists in Prague and elsewhere, especially in the Dutch Republic, as his paintings were widely disseminated through prints and artists who had worked with him, such as Karel van Mander. In the most common sense of the expression, the Holy Family includes the closest relatives of the Child Jesus, i.e. mother and grandmother or mother and nurturing father. In both cases, whether it is St. Anne or St. Joseph who appears, it is a group of three figures. From the artistic point of view, the arrangement of this terrestrial Trinity poses the same problems and suggests the same solutions as the heavenly Trinity. However, the difficulties are fewer. It is no longer a question of a single God in three persons whose essential unity must be expressed at the same time as diversity. The three personages are united by a blood bond, certainly, but they do not constitute an indivisible block. Moreover, the three are represented in human form, while the dove of the Holy Spirit introduces into the divine Trinity a zoomorphic element that is difficult to amalgamate with two anthropomorphic figures. On the other hand, this iconography was traditionally, until the Counter-Reformation, a representation of the Virgin and Child to which the figure of St. Joseph was added in the foreground. It was not until the reforms of Trent when St. Joseph began to take center stage as protector and guide of the Infant Jesus. It has a bone and lapis lazuli frame with iron support.

Valorac. 16 000 - 17 000 EUR

Lote 58 - CARAVAGGISTA MASTER; XVII century. "Christ and Nicodemus". Oil on canvas. Relined. Measurements: 86,5 x 121 cm; 100 x 136,5 cm (frame). In a landscape format the artist shows us the protagonists in the foreground, although the figure of Jesus stands out when using a red cloak whose expressiveness and symbolism anticipates the destiny of both men, in fact Jesus approaches the right hand towards Nicodemus who looks at him suspiciously, as requiring his help that will be provided in the most crucial moments of the life of Christ. The author anecdotally introduces numerous details that enrich the scene, such as the jewels and furs worn by Nicodemus and the still life of books that indicate that this is a man highly positioned in society for his work as a wise man. Technically, the author resorts to a composition of long tradition as a frieze, which allows to focus the attention on details such as the verism of the hands or the faces, in particular that of Nicodemus. Stylistically, the work shows a clear influence of Caravaggio and the followers of his style: theatrical use of a powerful spotlight, combination of this strong illumination with areas in darkness, use of diagonals, use of models inspired by the common people (although without the extraordinary realism of the Italian master in the present work because there is a greater degree of idealization in the faces), etc. Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, known as Caravaggio, was an Italian painter, active in Rome, Naples, Malta and Sicily between 1593 and 1610. His painting combines a realistic observation of the human figure, both physical and emotional, with a dramatic use of light, which exerted a decisive influence on the formation of Baroque painting. Caravaggio depicted close anatomical observation with a dramatic use of chiaroscuro that would come to be known as tenebrism. This technique became a dominant stylistic element, darkening shadows and transfiguring objects into brilliant beams of light. He vividly expressed crucial moments and scenes, often involving violent struggles, torture and death. He worked quickly with models from life, dispensing with sketches to work directly on canvas. His influence was profound in the new Baroque style that emerged from Mannerism and can be traced in the works of great masters such as Pedro Pablo Rubens, José de Ribera, Rembrandt and Diego Velázquez, as well as in countless artists of the following generation, who because they manifested his profound influence were called "Caravaggists" or "Tenebrists".

Valorac. 30 000 - 35 000 EUR

Lote 59 - MASTER OF JAN VICENTE or MASTER OF SAN JULIAN (Active in Aragon in the XVth century) "St. John the Baptist". Oil on panel. Cradled. Attached report issued by Doña Isabel Mateo. Measurements: 110 x 62 cm; 127 x 73 cm (frame). The saint appears in the center of the composition with his characteristic attributes, barefoot and wearing the usual camel skin that is barely visible due to the sumptuous tunic that is superimposed on his body. He holds a book on which rests a lamb adorned with a nimbus, while with his right hand he points to the representation of the Agnus Dei or mystical lamb. Inscribed in an interior open to a powdered sky, the saint covers the whole of the work highlighting its anatomical monumentality of realistic character, although it should be noted that this retains some gothic distortion that is especially noticeable in the arm. The work stands out stylistically by the coexistence between an aesthetic of Gothic heritage and new stylistic precepts of Renaissance character that are appreciated both in the architecture of refined forms and the verism of the face 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 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. 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, Flemish painters established a stylistic model based on the search for reality, focusing on capturing 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. In the Aragonese school of the late 15th-early 16th century, the Italian influence arrived first in its primitive form, with the works of the Quattrocento, and soon gave way to the contemporary Mannerist influences. This century saw the transition between the Flemish-influenced language and the new Italianate style, which left behind the rich and detailed sense of the Hispano-Flemish language. However, this arrival of new styles will not be uniform throughout Spain; on the Mediterranean coast these influences will arrive earlier thanks to the link between the crown of Aragon and Italy. On the other hand, in Castile and the interior of the Peninsula, the Flemish and late Gothic influences survived, largely driven by the Catholic Monarchs and by a clientele still attached to the old forms. Attached is a report issued by Mrs. Isabel Mateo.

Valorac. 27 000 - 30 000 EUR

Lote 60 - Circle of "EL GRECO"; DOMÉNIKOS THEOTOKÓPOULOS (Candía, Greece, 1541 - Toledo, 1614). "St. Francis in ecstasy". Oil on canvas. It has slight restorations. Measurements: 52 x 37 cm; 67 x 51 cm (frame). This work follows the models of the painting attributed to El Greco that is in the artistic collection of the Lázaro Galdiano Museum in Madrid (No. 02148). In the painting we observe several of the identifying aspects of El Greco's style, those that endowed his work with a totally personal character. At first glance, the treatment of color stands out above all, which seeks to reflect the intense green of other compositions by the Cretan. El Greco acquired his personal palette during his stay in Venice, between 1567 and 1570. From then on, he would acquire a lively and protagonist color, as well as a loose and agile brushstroke. It is an artificial color, totally anti-classical and mannerist, purely conceptual. His tones are intensely lightened by the light, especially emphasizing his metallic grays and very worked, changing, as we see here in the background and on the face of the character. El Greco's style was fully mannerist, and hence also the lengthening of the canon, which reaches twelve heads, and the twisting of the anatomies, very expressive, which can even border on deformity, although based on the knowledge of classical statuary. In this canvas we see a monumental St. Francis, on a nuanced background, whose balanced proportions indicate that it is a later work by an artist who, possibly, did not know the painter first hand, but that the prestige and influence that the Cretan caused in the Spanish painting of the eighteenth century invites him to follow his guidelines. At the same time, a slightly contorted posture is observed (an element that characterizes the master's paintings, which rejected the classical order and the rigorous formal correctness of the Renaissance, in favor of a more conceptual and expressive art based on complex forms). As for the subject matter, St. Francis was the son of a wealthy Italian merchant. Baptized as John, he was soon known as "Francesco" (the little Frenchman), because his mother came from that country. His youth was joyful and carefree until the age of twenty-five, when he changed completely and began to dedicate himself to the service of God, practicing the Gospel ideal: purity, detachment and joy in peace. Francesco renounces to the great inheritance received from his parents and decides to live poorly, giving an example of authentic Christianity. It presents slight restorations.

Valorac. 14 000 - 16 000 EUR

Lote 61 - Attributed to JOSE DE ARELLANO (Madrid, doc. 1665 - 1710). "Floreros". Oil on canvas. Relined in the 19th century. They present restorations in the pictorial surface and damages in the frame caused by xylophages. Measurements: 53 x 96 cm (x2); 71 x 87 cm (frames, x2). Pair of still lifes 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 endows the flowers with a presence and a three-dimensional aspect that reaches an illusionist level, almost trompe l'oeil. The flowers, worked in both paintings in shades of red, ochre and white, emerge from the shadows of the surroundings. In both cases the vase is placed on a pedestal of irregular profiles, with a stony appearance, worked in the same neutral tones as the background, indeterminate, we do not know if it is interior or exterior. The parapet stands out against the background as it is somewhat more illuminated, reinforcing the spatial construction in a naturalistic way. Aesthetically the work is close to the precepts of José de Arellano, a painter specialized in the subject of the still life of flowers, José de Arellano was a disciple of his father, Juan de Arellano, one of the most outstanding specialists in flower painting of the Spanish Baroque. He was also the brother of the painters Manuel and Julián de Arellano. He faithfully followed his father's style, to the point that several of his works have been attributed to him. However, his language differs from that of Juan de Arellano in his drier brushstrokes and more muted palette. We know little about his biography, although we do know the date of his baptism, which took place in the parish of San Ginés in Madrid in 1653, his godfather being the painter Juan Fernández de Laredo. He is currently represented in the Prado Museum (works on deposit at the City Hall and the Casa de Colon in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the Spanish Embassy at the UN in New York). While during the first half of the century the still life is orderly and clear, with a classicist aesthetic, the works of the second half of the century present very different characteristics, the result of the stylistic evolution towards the full baroque, leaving behind the dominant classicism of the beginning of the century. In works such as the pair of vases presented here, the taste for extreme naturalism is maintained, which leads the author to meticulously describe not only the details of the flowers and vases, but also to convey their different tactile qualities. They present restorations in the pictorial surface and damages in the frame caused by xylophages.

Valorac. 7 000 - 9 000 EUR

Lote 62 - Attributed to CORNELIS DE VOS (Hulst, ca. 1584-Antwerp, May 9, 1651). "Holy Family." Oil on canvas. It preserves the original canvas. It presents restorations and Punctures. Measurements: 178 x 240 cm. In the center of the image the Virgin and the Child embrace each other tenderly, oblivious to the viewer's gaze. Their strategic position and the way in which the author enthroned them in a higher position indicate the relevance of the protagonists. Far from the traditional aesthetics of the representation of the Holy Family, the scene is completed with the presence of St. Joseph who is in the background in profile as usual in the representations of the Holy Family. It is interesting to note the presence of a choir of small angels that surround the main protagonists and give the scene a certain dynamism and decorative sense that harmonizes with the powdered and vaporous technique used by the artist to compose the image. The scene takes place in an interior of great opulence inspired by classical architecture, which is open to the outside on the left side, leaving a glimpse of a landscape that brings spatiality to the work. Due to its technical characteristics, this work is aesthetically similar to the work of Cornelis de Vos. We have to compare this unpublished work with another one published in Christie's London Old Masters catalog on April 27, 2007, "David playing the harp". Both works present identical composition, establishing in the center a dais on which David, the Virgin and Child are placed, around them dances the same group of cherubs. Preserves the original canvas. Presents restorations and Punctures.

Valorac. 22 000 - 24 000 EUR

Lote 63 - First School of Fontainebleau; possibly LUCA PENNI, second third of the 16th century. "The Heroism of Mucius Scevola. Oil on panel. Engatillada. It has an export permit. It has restorations. It has a 19th century frame with faults. Measurements: 138 x 228 cm; 156 x 249 cm (frame). Since the Renaissance and until the dissolution of the academies, the historical paintings have enjoyed a great popularity among the public and the critics, since they allowed the author to display all his skill in the composition, the veracity of the anatomy and the quality of the details. This work, which depicts the heroism of Mucius Scevola, is an example of the above, although due to the artist's mastery the painting goes far beyond the above. The subject, based on the history of Rome, shows us in a narrative manner how, in the foreground, Gaius Mucius Scevola is captured by the soldiers of Porsena, king of Clusium, after having killed a man mistakenly thought to be the king and thus freeing the siege of the Tarquinii on the banks of the Tiber. The second shot reveals how shortly afterwards Caius Mucius appears before the king to kill him in the name of Rome and as punishment for his mistake places his right hand on a pyre, whereupon the king of Clusium, in admiration for his courage, decides to lay down his arms. The presence of the coins on the table on which the deceased rests his arm reveals the face of Charles V, thus showing how the artist allegorises a historical fact in analogy with his own present and the political events of his time, severely marked by the consequences of the Sack of Rome, which took place in 1527. This subtle but effective feature adds a moral component to the scene, which is no longer a merely descriptive image but an attempt to convey a moral to the viewer. Aesthetically, the complexity of the composition, the quality of the way the figures are arranged, the interest in the large format to accommodate a classical subject, the way they are configured and the use of colour indicate that this is a master of great academic training with knowledge of Michelangelo's anatomies and a taste for aesthetic refinement, both characteristics of the first School of Fontainbleau, whose creation and development was due to the patronage of François I, who, after the sack of Rome, sent for several Italian painters to decorate his palace. One of the artists who went to France was Luca Penni (Florence, 1500 - Paris 1556), who was responsible for the decoration of the room of the Poêles pavilion and the Ulysses gallery in the Palais de Fontainbleau. His style was based on Italian Mannerism and evolved into a delicate classicism in keeping with the French aesthetic, an aesthetic that can be seen in this painting. In fact, the piece bears a strong resemblance to the work by Penni in the Louvre collection, "Augustus and the Sibyl of Tibur". It should be noted that few oil paintings have survived from Fontainebleu and most are known thanks to the drawings and engravings of the works.

Valorac. 70 000 - 80 000 EUR

Lote 64 - SIMON VOUET (Paris, 1590 - 1649) "Saint Catherine and the Angel Oil on canvas. Provenance: Possibly Cardinal de la Valette, Rome, 1625. Galerie Electorale de Düsseldorf (1752 - 1805). Size: 109 x 73 cm; 123 x 95 cm (frame). Exhibitions: New York, Finch College, "Vouet to Rigaud: Frenc Masters of the Seventeenth Century", 1967 (cat. No. 3). Jacksonville, Florida, The Cummer Gallery of Art, "The Age of Louis XIII", 1969 (cat. No. 48, illus.); Florida, Museum of Fine Arts, 1970; College Park, University of Maryland Art Gallery, "The Works of Simon Vouet", 1971. Bibliography: LIONI, Ottavio and AMIDEI, Fausto, "Ritratti di alcuni celebri Pittori del secolo XVII...", p. 55; DEZAILLIER D'ARGENTVILLE, "Abrégé de la vie des plus fameux peintres", 1752, vol. IV, p. 14; PIGAGE, Nicolas, "La Galerie Electorale de Düsseldorf.Catalogue raisoné e figuré de ses tableaux...", pl. IV, no. 56; FRANC, Charles, "Histoire des peintres de toutes les ecoles...", vol. 8; DUSSIEUX, "Les artistes francaise a l'etranger", 1876, p. 428.; L. DEMONTS, "Essai sur la formation de Simon Vouet en Italie" in "Bulletin de la Société d'Histoire d'Art Francais" 1913, pp. 315 and 341; CRELLY, "Les artistes francaises a l'étranger", 1876, p. 428. 315 and 341; CRELLY, William "The Paintings of Simon Vouet", 1962, pp. 238-239, no. 187 (as a lost work); DARGENT, G. and THUILLIER, J. WSimone Vouet en Italie" in "Saggi et Momorie di Storia dell'Arte,", 1965, vol. IV, p. 45, no. A23 (as a lost work). A23 (as a lost work). The work was engraved by Claude Mellan in 1625, with the coat of arms of Cardinal de la Valette and a dedication to him. Both Crelly's book and that of Dargent and Thullier identify the present work as the one on which Mellan based his engraving, listing it in both studies as a lost work and considering it to be the one mentioned in the Collection of the Electoral Gallery in Düsseldorf in 1752 by Dezaiilier d'ARgenville. The painting was reproduced in an engraving of 1775 in an 18th-century catalogue of the Düsseldorf collection. It is possible to appreciate slight variations between Mellan's and Mechel's engravings. Desmonts, however, deduces that the Düsseldorf painting is a different one from the Mellan engraving, although Crelly argues that these variations are minor. The painting was in the Düsseldorf Collection and disappeared during its transfer to Munich. A French Baroque painter, Simon Vouet probably began his training with his father, the painter Laurent Vouet, and is mentioned by André Félibien in England at the age of fourteen as a professional portraitist. His mastery of this genre led him to visit Constantinople in 1611, accompanying the French ambassador, and then to Venice the following year. Finally, two years later, he settled in Rome, protected by the Barberini family and the French Crown. He remained in the Italian capital until 1627, where he achieved great success among the nobility and clergy sympathetic to France. In fact, he was appointed director of the Academy of Saint Luke in 1624. In Rome Vouet particularly admired the work of Caravaggio, whose language would define the French master's youthful style. However, his painting rapidly evolved towards forms more akin to classicism through the influence of the Neo-Venetianist trend that was spreading through Rome through artists such as Lanfranco. He was also receptive to the influence of the Roman-Bolognese classicism of the Carracci, Guercino and Reni, particularly in his chromaticism, which evolved towards greater clarity, and also in his increasingly harmonious compositions. In 1627 he returned to France, summoned by Louis XIII to become court painter. In Paris Vouet became the most influential painter of his time, and in fact introduced the influence of the Italian Baroque into France, especially the trends derived from the work of Veronese. The influence of Veronese can be seen in the large-scale decorations that Vouet executed during the reign of Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelie.

Valorac. 400 000 - 450 000 EUR

Lote 65 - Attributed to the Master JUAN TEJERINA, 16th century. "The betrothal of the Virgin and Saint Joseph". Oil on panel. It has a 20th century frame following 15th century models. Measurements. 75 x 53 cm; 95 x 58 cm (frame). In the midst of the transition between the Gothic and Renaissance styles, this work shows us the author's knowledge of the new humanist trends. This is reflected in the way the space is composed, as the scene is organised through a vanishing point based on the viewer's gaze. The symmetry, common in this image of long artistic tradition, and the use of counterposts, movements and folds of the garments distance the work from the hieratic style typical of the Gothic period, although it is true that certain figures are reminiscent of that period. The panel depicts a theme that was particularly popular in the late Middle Ages, although its textual source is not to be found in the canonical biblical texts but in various apocryphal accounts. It concerns the betrothal of the Virgin Mary to the elderly Saint Joseph. From the 12th and 13th centuries until the end of the Gothic period, Mary gained importance as a symbol of the Church and its faithful, but also as an increasingly close, human figure, as the mother who intercedes for her earthly children, humanity, before her heavenly Son, Christ, seeking his forgiveness. In line with this growing importance, interest in her life, the events that marked her earthly existence and her destiny after her death also increased. Numerous devotional and mystical works, in many cases inspired by the ancient apocryphal texts written in the first centuries of Christianity, hastened to fill in the gaps left by the evangelists, recounting episodes of his childhood and youth in detail. In the case of her marriage to Saint Joseph, the sources take special care to emphasise the miraculous character of this marriage, pointing out that the suitor was chosen from among all the just and honourable men of Jerusalem, both unmarried and widowed, thanks to a divine sign. The stylistic characteristics of the piece bring us closer to the work of the master Juan Tejerina, whose production developed especially in the area of Palencia. A follower of Juan de Flandes, his aesthetic proximity has led to the attribution of the two panels of the Visitation of the Virgin to Saint Elizabeth and the Adoration of the Kings, which are included in the upper section of the main altarpiece in Palencia cathedral. The Annunciation and the Nativity in the church of Santa Eulalia in Paredes de Nava are also attributed to him.

Valorac. 18 000 - 22 000 EUR

Lote 66 - VICENTE LÓPEZ PORTAÑA (Valencia, 1772 - Madrid, 1850) "Portrait of a Lady. Oil on canvas. It presents faults on the pictorial surface. Bibliography: Díez, José Luis, Catalogue, Vicente López (1772-1850). Catalogue raisonné. Volume II. Madrid, Fundación de Apoyo a la Historia del Arte Hispánico, 1999, pp.188 (P-735) and 758. It has a 20th-century frame following antique models. Measurements: 46 x 35 cm; 64.5 x 50.5 cm (frame). This work shows features inherited from the painting of López Portaña, influences which can be seen in the objective treatment of the sitter, without any hint of idealisation. It follows a realistic style, influenced by the naturalist tradition. In addition, in the work, we can see the artist's interest in portraying the fabrics and the different qualities that make up the lady's clothing, something very much to Vicente López's taste. Vicente López began his training as a disciple of Antonio de Villanueva at the San Carlos Academy in Valencia, where he was awarded the first-class prize in 1786 and 1789, obtaining a pension to study in Madrid. Once at court, the following year he won first place in the competition at the San Fernando Academy. There he learnt the baroque and colourful sense of composition and a taste for precise and analytical drawing. The Baroque lavishness of the frescoes of Luca Giordano and Corrado Giaquinto also had a decisive influence on his language. Now an established artist, he returned to his native city in 1792. There he received important public and private commissions, including portraits of Ferdinand VII and Marshal Soult. In his portraits López shows his Valencian heritage, the weight of the naturalism of Ribera and Ribalta, as well as his mastery in the reproduction of details and qualities. His quality in the field of portraiture led Ferdinand VII to summon him back to court in 1814, appointing him the following year as his first court painter. From then on he became the most sought-after painter by Spanish high society, alternating his work at court with teaching, official posts and private commissions. In 1823 he took over the artistic direction of the Royal Museum of Paintings, for which he painted a superb portrait of Francisco de Goya, now in the Prado. Works by Vicente López are kept in the Museo del Prado, the Museo de Bellas Artes de Valencia San Pío V, the Academia de San Fernando, the Museo Municipal de Játiva, the Museo Nacional de Arte de Cataluña, the New York Historical Society, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome and the Fundación Lázaro Galdiano in Madrid.

Valorac. 12 000 - 15 000 EUR

Lote 67 - Attributed to BERNARDINO CAMPI (Italy, 1522-1591) "Emperor. Oil on canvas. Re-drawn. It presents faults in the pictorial surface and restorations. Measurements: 141,5 x 113 cm. Technically the piece can be related to Bernadino Campi who was a Renaissance painter from Cremona, who worked in Reggio Emilia. He is known as one of the masters of Sofonisba Anguissola and Giovanni Battista Trotti (il Malosso). In Cremona, his extended family owned the main artistic studios. Giulio Campi and Antonio Campi, half-brothers, were distant relatives of Bernardino; the latter is generally considered the most talented of the family. All were active and locally prominent painters. The influences on Bernardino are likely to be diverse, including those from local Cremonese such as Camillo Boccaccino, to artists from neighbouring regions such as Correggio, Parmigianino and Giulio Romano, and he made several series of copies of the eleven Caesars by Titian, later in the Gonzaga collection, and added one of Domitian, which he based on a work by Giulio Romano. Titian's original was lost in an 18th-century fire in Madrid.Bernardino was commissioned by Vespasiano Gonzaga to lead a team of artists that included Pietro Martire Pesenti in the interior decoration, including Bernardino's frescoes, of the Palazzo del Giardino in Sabbioneta, near Mantua.Among his pupils were Giovanni Antonio Morandi (active in 1585), Andrea Mainardi and Pietro Martire Pesenti, both active in the Palazzo in Guastalla.

Valorac. 13 000 - 14 000 EUR

Lote 68 - Toledan Mannerist school; 16th century. "Apparition of Christ to Saint Peter in the Sea of Galilea". Oil on panel. It has restorations. Measurements: 123 x 76 x 8 cm. Due to the technical characteristics, such as the modelling of the forms, the tonalities used, the type of composition, and even the aesthetic details used in the treatment of the canvases that make up the scene, this work can be inscribed within the mannerist school. The composition, which follows a classical pattern, has been conceived in a classical manner with the main characters arranged in such a way that their bodies form a triangle, so that the composition is balanced. This makes it easy to read the subject matter depicted. The treatment of colour should be highlighted, with a palette of bright, saturated colours that gives the work expressiveness, thus harmonising with the dramatic theme represented. This work takes up the biblical account of the New Testament (Matthew 14:29-33) "Jesus said to him, 'Come! Peter got out of the boat, walked on the water and went to where Jesus was. But when he saw that the wind was strong, he was afraid and began to sink, and cried out, "Lord, save me! Jesus immediately took him by the hand and said to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt? And when they got into the boat, the wind died down. And those in the boat began to worship him, and said to him, "You are truly the Son of God.

Valorac. 6 000 - 7 000 EUR

Lote 69 - Spanish school, first half of the seventeenth century. "Ecce Homo. Oil on pine board. Presents faults and restorations. Measurements: 52 x 29,5 x 3 cm. In this painting, the episode of the Ecce Homo has been represented using a simple but emotionally intense composition. Jesus, handcuffed and with drops pearling his forehead, the henchmen of Pontius Pilate have just placed the crown of thorns on him and wrapped his naked body with a scarlet robe to laugh at him (as king of the Jews). Soldiers brandish clubs to beat him. Pontius Pilate wears a sumptuous costume of silk and ermine. A servant girl whispers something in his ear. Visually dominates the light treatment, contrasted and effective, based on a spotlight from the window in the background. Incising fully on the figure of Christ, he creates expressive games of chiaroscuro to enhance the faces and fabrics, on a dark and neutral background that further enhances the physical presence of the characters. Also the chromatism is embedded in the baroque models of the time and therefore is based on a restricted and warm palette, nuanced, of ochre, earthy and carmine tones. The theme of Ecce Homo belongs to the cycle of the Passion, and precedes the episode of the Crucifixion. Following this iconography, Jesus is presented at the moment when the soldiers mock him, after crowning him with thorns, dressing him in a purple tunic and placing a reed in his hand, kneeling and exclaiming "Hail, King of the Jews!". The words "Ecce Homo" are those pronounced by Pilate, who is represented in this scene next to Christ, dressed in elegant clothes, when presenting Christ before the crowd; its translation is "behold the man", a phrase by which he mocks Jesus and implies that the power of Christ was not such compared to that of the leaders who were judging him there. The Savior crowned with thorns or Man of Sorrows. For this scene, the evangelist Matthew is taken (Mt 27, 28-29:) and undressing him, they covered him with a scarlet cloak, and placed on his head a crown woven with thorns, and a reed in his right hand.

Valorac. 2 000 - 2 500 EUR

Lote 70 - Spanish school, first half of the seventeenth century. "Ecce Homo. Oil on pine board. Presents faults and restorations. Measurements: 52 x 29,5 x 3 cm. In this painting of baroque school, the biblical episode of the Ecce Homo is developed with great descriptive eagerness and compositional dynamism. The figure of Christ with the crown of thorns, handcuffed and resigned to his fate, is flanked by Pilate (whom we see embarrassed and ashamed of his own cowardice) and two Roman soldiers. At street level, a group of apostles clamor for his release and the guards stifle their advance. Attention should be drawn to the contrast between the noble features of the followers of Jesus and the henchmen of the law. The painter expresses the drama of the event through the gesticulations and the characterization of the faces. Likewise, he extracts the just brilliance of the helmets and the silky qualities of the garments. The chiaroscuro models the anatomy and the garments, enhancing their colors. This panel dates from the Golden Age of Spanish painting.

Valorac. 2 000 - 2 500 EUR

Lote 71 - Spanish school; 17th century. "Memento Mori". Carved and polychrome wood. It has faults. Measurements: 20 x 30 x 25 cm. The synthetism of this work carved in wood indicates that it was probably originally part of a larger sculptural ensemble. The work is reduced to the representation of a book as a base and on its spine a feather and a skull. These few elements create an ensemble of great visual impact and evocation, as the author not only alludes to the concept of death, but also to that of history and, in turn, to the idea of memory. The author manages to create a great impact on the spectator by combining the presence of an infant with that of the skull that represents death. Thus showing a sculpture in which the concept of life and death are united without being aware of it, and how danger lurks from the earliest childhood. 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").

Valorac. 4 000 - 5 000 EUR

Lote 72 - FRANS WOUTERS (Lier, 1612- Antwerp, 1659). "Pyramus and Thisbe". Oil on copper. Presents faults. It has frame of the twentieth century. Measurements: 55 x 72 cm; 79.5 x 96 cm (frame). Pyramus and Thisbe is a mythological tale of two lovers who, unable to be together, were a great inspiration for Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. It is about a legendary pair of Babylonian lovers, whose story is part of Ovid's Metamorphoses. The parents of Pyramus and Thisbe, driven by rivalry, forbade their union, but they communicated through a crack in the wall between their houses. They planned to meet under a mulberry tree, but a series of tragic misunderstandings led to their deaths: Thisbe fled from a lioness, leaving behind her cloak, which Pyramus found and mistook for proof of her death. Believing that Thisbe had been killed by the lioness, Pyramus committed suicide, staining the mulberry trees with her blood. Thisbe, finding Pyramus dead, also committed suicide. The gods changed the color of the mulberry trees to honor their forbidden love. Frans Wouters who was a Flemish Baroque painter who translated the monumental Baroque style of Peter Paul Rubens into the small context of cabinet paintings. He initially began as an apprentice to Pieter van Avont in Antwerp, but broke his contract to move to Rubens' workshop in 1634.He became a master in the Guild of St. Luke the following year. He spent the 1630s as court painter to the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II. He was sent as Ferdinand II's ambassador to England in 1637. The following year, he became the painter to the Prince of Wales, the future Charles II of England. In England, Wouters would surely have had the opportunity to meet his compatriot Anthony van Dyck, who was at that time the court painter to Charles I of England. His style initially resembled the late mannerism of Joos de Momper and was later influenced by Rubens and, in particular, by Rubens' landscape paintings. After entering the service of Archduke Leopold William, Wouters' work showed the growing influence of Anthony van Dyck and the human figures in his paintings became elongated and emotionally expressive. He painted biblical scenes and mythological landscapes in this style.

Valorac. 5 000 - 6 000 EUR

Lote 73 - FRANS WOUTERS (Lier, 1612- Antwerp, 1659). "Cephalus and Procris". Oil on copper. Presents faults. Measurements: 55 x 72 cm; 79,5 x 96 cm (frame). In this work the mythological history of Cephalus and Procris is collected. Cephalus was married to Procris, a daughter of Erecteo. The goddess of dawn, Eos fell in love with him and kidnapped Cephalus while he was hunting. The resilient Cephalus and Eos became lovers, and she bore him a son named Phaethon (not to be confused with the son of the sun god Helios). Some sources also give Tithonos and Hesperus as sons of Cephalus and Eos. However, Cephalus always pined for Procris, which caused a disgruntled Eos to return him, making disparaging remarks about his wife's fidelity. Bribed by a golden crown, his wife admitted Pteleon into her bed and, being detected by Cephalus, fled to Minos. As for the image, the scene reflects the narration found in Ovid's Metamorphosis, specifically in book VII. Procris jealous of her husband, and sure of his infidelity decided to follow him. When she chased her husband and hid in some bushes to avoid being discovered, her husband killed her thinking she was a wild animal. Frans Wouters was a Flemish Baroque painter who translated the monumental Baroque style of Peter Paul Rubens into the small context of cabinet paintings. He initially began as an apprentice to Pieter van Avont in Antwerp, but broke his contract to move to Rubens' workshop in 1634.He became a master in the Guild of St. Luke the following year. He spent the 1630s as court painter to the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II. He was sent as Ferdinand II's ambassador to England in 1637. The following year, he became the painter to the Prince of Wales, the future Charles II of England. In England, Wouters would surely have had the opportunity to meet his compatriot Anthony van Dyck, who was at that time the court painter to Charles I of England. His style initially resembled the late mannerism of Joos de Momper and was later influenced by Rubens and, in particular, by Rubens' landscape paintings. After entering the service of Archduke Leopold William, Wouters' work showed the growing influence of Anthony van Dyck and the human figures in his paintings became elongated and emotionally expressive. He painted biblical scenes and mythological landscapes in this style.

Valorac. 5 000 - 6 000 EUR

Lote 74 - Spanish school of the XVI century. "King David". Oil on panel. Signed (illegible) on the paper that holds the character. Measurements: 95 x 51,5 cm; 110 x 65 cm (frame). In Renaissance art, King David is often represented without crown or scepter, without royal attributes, being the painter's intention to emphasize his role as author of the Psalms and as a spiritual rather than political figure. In the biblical tradition, David is often seen as the archetype of the ideal king: just, courageous, pious and devoted to God. The image of David writing can reinforce this vision, showing a balance between power and piety, action and contemplation. Despite being a king, David is remembered in the Bible for his moments of repentance and humility, especially in the Psalms, where he frequently expresses his recognition of his own faults and his dependence on God. Stylistically, we have sought to contrast the intense red of the robe with the dark background of the room, barely hinted at, and the light emanating from the window. The use of the window and the composition is genuinely Renaissance.

Valorac. 2 300 - 2 900 EUR

Lote 75 - JAN VAN KESSEL (Antwerp, 1626-1679). "Flower garland with the Virgin". Oil on copper. Adjunta informe escrito por el Dr. Klaus Ertz (junio de 2017). Measures: 32 x 26 cm; 53.5 x 48.5 cm (frame). This work follows a very popular tradition in 17th century Baroque painting. Although, due to the importance of the flowers and the fruits, it is possible to speak of a still life, the religious scene they frame means that it should be considered as part of a line of paintings that is very common in both the Spanish and Flemish schools. The central theme was painted in grisaille, imitating sculpture, or in color, and although this used to be religious, it is not entirely exceptional to find mythological themes or even an element of still life; and he surrounded himself with a garland, sometimes run and sometimes divided, made in full color. Jan van Kessel "the Elder", was an active Flemish painter in Antwerp in the mid-17th century. Versatile artist who practiced in many genres, including insect studies, floral still lifes, Marines, river landscapes, heavenly landscapes, allegorical compositions, animal scenes, and genre scenes. An offspring of the Brueghel family, many of his themes were inspired by the work of his grandfather Jan Brueghel the Elder, as well as the previous generation of Flemish painters such as Daniel Seghers, Joris Hoefnagel and Frans Snyders. Jan van Kessel the Elder was born in Antwerp as the son of Hieronymus van Kessel the Younger and Paschasia Brueghel (the daughter of Jan Brueghel the Elder). He was, therefore, Jan Brueghel, the grandson of the Elder, Pieter Bruegel, the great-grandson of the Elder and the nephew of Jan Brueghel the Younger. His direct ancestors in the line of the van Kessel family were his grandfather Hieronymus van Kessel the Elder and his father Hieronymus van Kessel the Younger, who were both painters. Very little is known about the work of these van Kessel ancestors. At the age of just 9, Jan van Kessel was sent to study with the history painter Simon de Vos. He also trained with family members who were artists. He was a student of his father and his uncle Jan Brueghel the Younger. In 1644 he became a member of the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke, where he was registered as a "blomschilder" (flower painter). He married Maria van Apshoven on June 11, 1646. The couple had 13 children, of whom two, Jan and Ferdinand, were trained by him and became successful painters. He was captain of a local schutterij (civil guard) in Antwerp. Jan van Kessel was financially successful as his works demanded high prices. He bought in 1656 a house called Witte in Roode Roos (White and Red Rose) in the center of Antwerp.

Valorac. 12 000 - 14 000 EUR

Lote 76 - Atrib. to BERNARDINO CAMPI (Italy, 1522-1591). "Emperor. Oil on canvas. Re-tinted. It presents faults in the pictorial surface and restorations. Size: 141,5 x 113 cm. In the piece the author has portrayed the character with the bust cut out on a landscape created in depth, whose remoteness monumentalises the figure and gives a greater rotundity to the forms of the body. The main figure carries a baton which crosses his chest, slightly turned three-quarters of the way round. His posture and his face turned towards the left side of the scene suggest that he is threatening something, as well as his hand holding his sword as if he were about to draw it. Technically the piece can be related to Bernadino Campi who was a Renaissance painter from Cremona, who worked in Reggio Emilia. He is known as one of the masters of Sofonisba Anguissola and Giovanni Battista Trotti (il Malosso). In Cremona, his extended family owned the main artistic studios. Giulio Campi and Antonio Campi, half-brothers, were distant relatives of Bernardino; the latter is generally considered the most talented of the family. All were active and locally prominent painters. The influences on Bernardino are likely to be diverse, including those from local Cremonese such as Camillo Boccaccino, to artists from neighbouring regions such as Correggio, Parmigianino and Giulio Romano, and he made several series of copies of the eleven Caesars by Titian, later in the Gonzaga collection, and added one of Domitian, which he based on a work by Giulio Romano. Titian's original was lost in an 18th-century fire in Madrid.Bernardino was commissioned by Vespasiano Gonzaga to lead a team of artists that included Pietro Martire Pesenti in the interior decoration, including Bernardino's frescoes, of the Palazzo del Giardino in Sabbioneta, near Mantua.Among his pupils were Giovanni Antonio Morandi (active in 1585), Andrea Mainardi and Pietro Martire Pesenti, both active in the Palazzo in Guastalla.

Valorac. 13 000 - 15 000 EUR

Lote 77 - KAREL SVOBODA (Plánice, 1824 - Vienna, 1870) "Aesop", Copy of DIEGO VELÁZQUEZ (Seville, 1599-1660) Oil on canvas. Relined. Signed in the lower left corner. It has slight Repainting. Some faults in the golden frame. Stains on the back. Measurements: 180 x 94 cm; 194 x 109 cm (frame). Excellent copy of the "Aesop" by Velázquez (Museo del Prado), Karel Svoboda was a renowned painter who became famous for his virtuosity. His ability to delve into the genius of Velázquez is proof of his worth. Velázquez's "Aesop" attracted attention already in his time because he dispensed with period costumes, dressing him in rags and shoes that any Spanish city beggar of the time would wear. In addition, the veristic characterization of the expression is subjugating. Velázquez portrays Aesop not only as a storyteller, but as a philosopher and thinker. The austerity of his clothing and his contemplative pose suggest a life dedicated to thought and moral teaching. Karel Svoboda was a Czech-Austrian painter, mainly of historical scenes, noted for the precision of their detail. He worked in Prague and Vienna. He was orphaned at an early age and went to live with his uncle Václav, who was a teacher at the Gymnasium in Prague. Under his tutelage, Karel learned philosophy and drawing. His talent caught the attention of Count Franz von Thun, who helped him enter the Academy of Fine Arts, where he studied with Christian Ruben. His painting of the second Defenestration of Prague was much admired and led the writer Ljudevit Gaj to invite him to Zagreb, where he lived for several months painting local characters and scenes from the history of Illyria. In the same year he married the daughter of the composer Alois Jelen and, in 1851, moved with her to Vienna. Despite the move, he accepted a commission to paint historical murals in the Summer Palace of Queen Anne (Le Belvédère), back in Prague. In the following years he carried out several important commissions, among them the posters for the 500th anniversary of Vienna in 1865. He also worked as a drawing teacher at the Schottenfeld Gymnasium (Neubau) and made illustrations for several poetry books, among them the "Rukopis Královédvorský" (Königinhofer Handschrift).

Valorac. 10 000 - 12 000 EUR

Lote 78 - KAREL SVOBODA (Plexiglas, 1824 - Vienna, 1870) "Menipo", Copy of DIEGO VELÁZQUEZ (Seville, 1599-1660) Oil on canvas. Relined. Signed in the lower left corner. It has three patches on the back. Some faults in the golden frame. Measurements: 180 x 94 cm; 194 x 109 cm (frame). Excellent copy of the "Menipo" by Velázquez (Museo del Prado); Karel Svoboda was a renowned painter who became famous for his virtuosity. His ability to delve into the genius of Velázquez is proof of his worth. Velázquez portrays Menipo as a thinker who defies social norms and pretensions. His humble appearance contrasts with the sharpness of his mind and his ability to criticize and satirize society. The psychological characterization and the rendering of the garments, with their coarse textures, are impeccable. Menippus of Gadara was a 3rd century B.C. Greek cynic philosopher known for his biting satire and his criticism of pretentiousness and hypocrisy. As a cynic, Menippus despised social conventions and material concerns, promoting a simple and austere life. Karel Svoboda was a Czech-Austrian painter, mainly of historical scenes, noted for the precision of their details. He worked in Prague and Vienna. He was orphaned at an early age and went to live with his uncle Václav, who was a teacher at the Gymnasium in Prague. Under his tutelage, Karel learned philosophy and drawing. His talent caught the attention of Count Franz von Thun, who helped him enter the Academy of Fine Arts, where he studied with Christian Ruben. His painting of the second Defenestration of Prague was much admired and led the writer Ljudevit Gaj to invite him to Zagreb, where he lived for several months painting local characters and scenes from the history of Illyria. In the same year he married the daughter of the composer Alois Jelen and, in 1851, moved with her to Vienna. Despite the move, he accepted a commission to paint historical murals in the Summer Palace of Queen Anne (Le Belvédère), back in Prague. In the following years he carried out several important commissions, among them the posters for the 500th anniversary of Vienna in 1865. He also worked as a drawing teacher at the Schottenfeld Gymnasium (Neubau) and made illustrations for several poetry books, among them the "Rukopis Královédvorský" (Königinhofer Handschrift).

Valorac. 10 000 - 12 000 EUR

Lote 79 - Italian school; last quarter of the 17th century. "Allegory of music". Oil on canvas. Provenance: Private collection of Venice. Measurements: 44 x 35 cm. In this scene the author presents us in the foreground and in a monumental way to two characters. A young lady, of snowy skin and classic beauty, holds in her hand a score with the IV act, scene V of Atys of Jean Baptiste Lully. Her half-open mouth indicates that the young lady is performing it, and this idea is reinforced by the character standing directly behind her, looking directly at the viewer. He brings one of his fingers to his lips, thus imploring the viewer with his gesture to be silent in a direct way. Allegorical paintings emerged in the Middle Ages with the intention of exalting the qualities and situations of life. This type of portraits were used to exalt the qualities of a particular character, such as kings, or recognized personalities, although in this particular case the artist tries to represent the arts in particular the music that obviously associated with beauty and youth as eternal and immutable concepts. In fact, during the neoclassicism this trend was again in vogue. In this particular case it is not a recognized character, but the painter wanted to reflect the initial concept of the use of allegory in pictorial art. In terms of aesthetics, it should be noted that the monumentality of the figures, the pictorial treatment, with a precise brushstroke that is deliberately blurred in areas such as the hair or clothing of the young woman to provide greater volume and quality to the textures, indicate that this is a work with a clear influence of the Italian school. Furthermore, in the case of the secondary character who invades the scene, we can appreciate a heritage close to tenebrism, not only in the warmth of his face and the contrast of light exerted by the shadows on his face, but also in the model himself, whose gesture reveals a certain taste for the picaresque, so in vogue during the aforementioned period.

Valorac. 3 000 - 4 000 EUR

Lote 80 - Spanish school; c. 1800. "Infant Jesus and St. John". Oil on canvas. Relined. Preserves period frame. Signed "Velázquez pinxit 1800". Measurements: 73 x 84 cm: 82 x 94 cm (frame). Devotional scene in which one of the most popular themes in the history of art is represented. In the center of the composition it is possible to appreciate a blond Baby Jesus that directs his look directly towards the spectator. Next to him, on the left side of the scene, we can appreciate a Saint John, older than Jesus, but still a child. Identified with his red mantle and usual phylactery, he looks at his attentive and even intrigued cousin. The scene is completed by a pair of cherubim heads located on the right side to balance the scene compositionally. The infantile representation of the Child Jesus and San Juanito was very habitual uniting, in addition, both figures by its familiar kinship and its 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. Preserves period frame.

Valorac. 1 500 - 2 000 EUR

Lote 81 - Follower of PIETER PAUL RUBENS (Siegen, Germany, 1577 - Antwerp, Belgium, 1640). "The triumph of divine love". Oil on copper. It presents restorations on the pictorial surface. It has a XIX century frame with faults. Measurements: 69 x 87 cm; 77 x 94 cm (frame). In this copper the author shows a composition based on the Triumph of divine love, although it varies in some details. Following the words of the Prado Museum "In 1625 the archduchess Isabel Clara Eugenia commissioned Rubens to design a series of twenty tapestries for the Monastery of the Descalzas in Madrid. They deal with the theme of the Eucharist, the main dogma of Catholicism that the princess defended as sovereign princess of the southern Netherlands. The scenes were conceived by Rubens as triumphal parades, pretending to be canvases hanging from baroque architectures, which provoked a dramatic doubt between reality and artistic image. In the case of this painting, a woman representing Divine Love is standing on a triumphal chariot. She is surrounded by child angels. The bird feeding her children with blood drawn from her own breast was used since the Middle Ages as a symbol of Christ's sacrifice and also of the Eucharist. One of the angels tries to burn two intertwined serpents, which probably symbolize sin. The luminous realm we contemplate in this image is a reflection of Christ's love, communicated by the mystery of the Eucharist." Peter Paul Rubens was a painter of the Flemish school who, nevertheless, competed on equal terms with contemporary Italian artists, and enjoyed a very important international transcendence, given that his influence was also key in other schools, as is the case of the passage to the full Baroque in Spain. Although born in Westphalia, Rubens grew up in Antwerp, where his family originated.Rubens had three teachers, the first being Tobias Verhaecht, a painter of precise and meticulous technique who had traveled to Italy, and who instilled in the young painter the first artistic rudiments. It is also possible that Rubens traveled to Italy influenced by this first master. The second was Adam van Noort, a Romanist painter also oriented towards the Italian influence, with a language still Mannerist, and who must also have influenced the young man to visit Italy. Finally, his third teacher was Otto van Veen, the most outstanding and the last of them. After his training, Rubens joined the Antwerp painters' guild in 1598. Only two years later he made a trip to Italy, where he remained between 1600 and 1608, and in 1609 he returned to the Netherlands, in the service of the governors of Flanders, Archduke Albert and the Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia. In addition to being a chamber painter, Rubens will exercise diplomatic tasks for the court that will take him to visit Spain, London and Paris. In 1609 he married Isabel Brant in Antwerp and organized his workshop, hiring excellent collaborators, with whom he worked side by side, many of them being specialist painters (Frans Snyders, Jan Brueghel de Velours...). He will also take on disciples and create an excellent workshop of engravers, who will work from drawings in his own hand, and under his supervision. It presents restorations on the pictorial surface. It has a 19th century frame with faults.

Valorac. 2 800 - 3 000 EUR

Lote 82 - Attributed to THOMAS LAWRENCE (Bristol, 1769 - London, 1830). Portrait. Oil on canvas. Measurements: 73,5 x 63 cm; 96 x 84 cm (frame). The author offers us a portrait of great sobriety, dominated by a palette of cold tonalities, which are only qualified with the use of rounded forms that contribute delicacy to the piece as it is observed in the treatment of the handkerchief in the neck. Both the composition and the pictorial execution of this excellent portrait fit with the characteristics of the best English portrait painting of the first quarter of the 19th century, and especially with the work of Sir Thomas Lawrence and his closest circle. Sir Thomas Lawrence was, after the death of Joshua Reynolds in 1792, Britain's foremost portraitist. His early training took place in Bath, where he learned from William Hoare the technique of pastel, and from Thomas Barker the correct handling of oil paint. In 1787 he moved to London, where he exhibited his first works at the Royal Academy. He began to triumph thanks to his female portraits, such as the one of Elizabeth Farren, where we can already guess certain traits of sensitivity that he would develop in his more mature production. In 1791 he was admitted to the Royal Academy and the following year, after the death of Joshua Reynolds, he became the king's painter. In 1815 he was knighted and that same year the royal family commissioned a series of portraits for the Waterloo Chamber at Windsor Castle. In 1820 he succeeded Benjamin West as president of the Royal Academy. Lawrence's portraits were based on the "great style" of Reynolds, but the Bristol painter opened the way to a new concept of portraiture with respect to the model, his personal demeanor and his emotional portrayal. He knew how to rescue a very personal vision of his clients, typical of the romantic portrait and of the Victorian era. His models are presented in relaxed and natural attitudes, the brushstroke is delicate, imperceptible in the faces and lighter and sketched in the clothes and the landscape, which almost always has an important role.

Valorac. 5 000 - 6 000 EUR

Lote 83 - Spanish school; c. 1600. "Christ crucified". Boxwood. Measurements: 48 x 34 cm (Christ); 84 x 40 x 14 cm. Boxwood carving showing Christ crucified. The representation is simple, although detailed, leaving in view the anatomy of the body of Jesus dressed with the cloth of purity. In spite of the pathos that infuses the gesture of the face in the work a body of serene attitude is shown with certain weight and movement due to the position of the superimposed feet, contrasting with the Romanesque Christs of four nails, whose position presented great statism. The way in which the purity cloth is arranged, diagonally, as well as the waters in the cloth of the same, increase that sensation of mobility, in addition to the inclination of the head towards the side, The moment of the crucifixion has been one of the most worked iconographic themes throughout history with the purpose of indoctrinating the faithful through the suffering that Christ lived in Golgotha. In general, it was left in the hands of image makers, who bequeathed abundant examples, this piece being one of them. These types of pieces were not usually made for churches, but for a more private cult. Thus, they were usually commissioned for private chapels, convents or monasteries, where they would be placed closer to the faithful. For this reason, the artist was required to be more detailed, appreciating in this case the detail of the hair, the Crown of Thorns made of silver, the anatomy, the mouth or the eyes of the crucified. This completes a work that is capable of transmitting the redemptive message of Christ.

Valorac. 10 000 - 12 000 EUR

Lote 84 - Novo-Hispanic school of the late 17th century. "Virgin of the Popolo". Oil on panel. It presents faults and restorations. Measurements: 110 x 71 x 2,5 cm. Oil painting on canvas representing the Virgin and Child following a compositional model inspired by the "Salus Populi Romani (in Spanish: Protectora del Pueblo Romano), better known as Our Lady of the Snows. It is a Byzantine icon of the Virgin and Child, which tradition attributes to the first Christians. It is located in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. Here we see the Virgin half-length, dressed in red tunic and blue mantle, holding in her arms the child, who also wears tunic and mantle, although in red and gold colors. Jesus holds in his hands a book, the Holy Scriptures, and raises his right hand with two fingers extended, as a sign of blessing. Following the model of the icon of the "Madonna del Popolo", the figures show hieratic and solemn positions. However, the modeling of the faces and hands shows a clear classical influence, since it is markedly sculptural.

Valorac. 4 000 - 4 500 EUR

Lote 85 - Spanish school of the 17th century. "Jesus Child in the temple before the doctors". Oil on canvas. Measurements: 71 x 90,5 cm; 80 x 100 cm (frame). In this work we see the episode of the discussion of Jesus with the doctors, following a zigzagging and moving composition typical of the 17th century, which announces the dynamic and scenographic structures that will be typical of the epoch. The figures follow an ascending rhythm, starting from the lower left corner and turning until they reach the figure of Jesus, who is in an elevated position with respect to the rest of the figures in the scene. The figure of Christ is further enhanced by his location, as he is almost in the centre of the scene, seated before a parapet. Joseph and Mary, located in a lower position, together with the doctors, are located on the right of the composition. Joseph gazes directly at his son with great admiration, while the Virgin directs her gaze towards the viewer in such a way as to draw him into the scene and involve him in her son's discourse. This theme is based on a passage from the Gospel of Luke, which recounts the presence of the young Jesus among the theologians or doctors of the Mosaic Law. The text narrates that Jesus, being twelve years old, got lost in Jerusalem, where he had gone with his parents on the occasion of the Jewish Passover. He went to the Temple, where he spent a long time listening and questioning the doctors, who were amazed at his theological knowledge. It took Mary and Joseph three days to find him, and when they did, Mary expressed her concern and Jesus answered her with these words: "Why were you looking for me, did you not know that I must be in my Father's house? This is the last of the accounts of Jesus' childhood, and the only time he is not obedient to his parents. In the Catholic interpretation, these three days that Jesus remains separated from Mary are taken as a sign of the future Redemption through the sacrifice on the cross.

Valorac. 1 500 - 2 000 EUR

Lote 86 - Spanish school; ca. 1600. "Saint Bartholomew". Oil on panel. Engatillada. It has repainting and restorations. The panel is open in the central area. Measurements: 120 x 65.5 cm. Inscribed in a semicircular arch, whose upper area is crowned by two little cherub heads, each on one side, the imposing figure of a saint can be seen. After the theatricalisation of the subject provided by the arch, the artist has placed a black background, thus giving great prominence to the central figure. An elderly man, as can be deduced from the white beard, is seated despite the fact that his figure occupies almost the entire surface of the work. The old man, who wears a tunic and cloak, holds a sword in one hand and a book in the other, which he rests on his leg. In this hand, a large chain can also be seen hanging from his wrist to the ground. The aforementioned attributes, together with the nimbus of sanctity and, of course, the name that crowns the image of the saint, refer directly to Saint Bartholomew. Bartholomew was one of Jesus' apostles, and is mentioned in the Gospels always in the 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 Jesus' ascension. The tradition recorded by Eusebius of Caesarea recounts that Bartholomew went to preach the Gospel in India, where he left a copy of Matthew's Gospel in Aramaic. Armenian tradition also attributes to him the preaching of Christianity in the Caucasus country, together with Saint Jude Thaddeus, and 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. When the priests of the pagan temples, who were running out of followers, protested to Astiages about Bartholomew's evangelising work, the ruler sent for him and ordered him to worship their idols, just as he had done with his brother. When the saint refused, 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, and it is common to depict the saint at the moment of martyrdom. Thus, he is usually depicted being flayed, either on a rack or tied to a tree. He has also been depicted working miracles: resurrecting the sons of King Polymius and freeing his daughter, who was possessed by the devil. On rare occasions he is depicted being scourged. He is sometimes depicted 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. In connection with his martyrdom, he is also sometimes depicted skinned, his skin being held on his arm as if it were a piece of clothing.

Valorac. 2 000 - 2 500 EUR

Lote 87 - Andalusian school; early 18th century. "Via Crucis". Oil on canvas adhered to tablex. Relined. It presents repainting and air bubbles. Measurements: 60 x 53 cm; 67 x 60 cm (frame). Pair of oil paintings on canvas of oval format in which two similar scenes are collected, belonging to the representation of the Way of the Cross. Exhausted by the blood lost in the scourging, weakened by the physical and moral suffering inflicted on him the night before, and without having slept, Jesus could barely take a few steps and soon fell under the weight of the cross. Then followed the blows and imprecations of the soldiers, the expectant laughter of the crowd. The Messiah, with all the strength of his will and with all his might, managed to get up and continue on his way. According to theological interpretations, Jesus invites us by his actions to carry our cross and follow him, he teaches us here that we too can fall, and that we must understand those who fall; that none of us must remain prostrate, we must all get up with humility and trust, seeking his help and forgiveness. The scenes in each of the works show a different moment on the road to Calvary. One of them depicts the moment when Jesus is about to be whipped by one of the soldiers, perhaps the moment before his fall on Calvary, a recurring theme in Christian iconography. The other image depicts a scene that would later give rise to the iconography of the Holy Face, a devotional painting. It is an episode that occurred during the Passion of Christ, when on the road to Calvary a woman took off her veil to wipe the face of the Messiah with it. The image of the face of Jesus Christ was imprinted on the linen handkerchief, and it was miraculously preserved through the centuries, becoming an object of worship. The woman would later be called Veronica, whose etymology derives from the Latin "verum" (true) and the Greek "eikon" (image).

Valorac. 1 800 - 2 500 EUR

Lote 88 - Italian school; XVIII century. "Christ crucified". Gilded bronze and iron base. Measurements: 29 x 20 x 9 cm; 49 x 20 cm (base). In this devotional sculpture of the Crucified, the modeling of the forms follow a classic canon of balanced anatomy that transmits an immutable beauty, responding to a concept of aesthetic serenity according to the Italian school. We are before a school ascribed to the classicist baroque, far from the dramatism of the dominant baroque. The polished finish of the gilded bronze and the sinuous line that draws the body (already relaxed, after the last breath) impregnate it with a contained pathos. A balanced and perfectly studied anatomy denotes the artistic ability of the sculptor, who reflects like no one else the suffering that Christ endured in his last seconds of life. Crucifixions and crucifixes have appeared in the history of art and popular culture since before the era of the pagan Roman Empire. The crucifixion of Jesus has been depicted in religious art since the 4th century. It is one of the most recurrent themes in Christian art and the one with the most obvious iconography. Although Christ is sometimes depicted clothed, it is usual to represent his naked body, albeit with the genitals covered with a purity cloth (perizonium); full nudes are very rare, but prominent (Brunelleschi, Michelangelo, Cellini). The conventions of representation of the different attitudes of the crucified Christ are designated by the Latin expressions Christus triumphans ("triumphant" -not to be confused with the Maiestas Domini or the Pantocrator-), Christus patiens ("resigned" -not to be confused with the Christ of patience-) and Christus dolens ("suffering" -not to be confused with the Vir dolorum-). The triumphans is represented alive, with open eyes and erect body; the patiens is represented dead, with the will totally emptied (kenosis), the head inclined, the face with serene expression, the eyes closed and the body arched, showing the five wounds; the dolens is represented in a similar way to the patiens, but with a gesture of pain, particularly in the mouth (curved).

Valorac. 6 000 - 7 000 EUR

Lote 89 - TOMÁS YEPES (Valencia, ca. 1610-1674). "Still life". Oil on canvas. Re-coloured. Attached report issued by the historian Don José Gómez Frechina. It presents restorations. Measurements: 62,5 x 82,5 cm; 77 x 97 cm (frame). In this work Hiepes offers us a still life of dynamic and scenographic character, typically baroque, in which a typically Spanish base is combined with an Italian influence characteristic of the Valencian school of the baroque. This school was greatly influenced by the tenebrism of Caravaggio in the 17th century, as Italian paintings destined for the royal collections arrived in Spain via the port of Valencia. This work combines the compositional dynamism of the full Baroque with a chromatic and luminous treatment directly derived from Caravaggio. The bright, anti-classical tones of the flowers, among which pink and red stand out, are joined by a whole series of earthy, ochre and carmine colours that form the basis of the Caravaggesque palette, constituting an interesting visual counterpoint. With regard to the general structure, this is a work that clearly belongs to the Spanish Baroque period. Tomás Hiepes is currently considered the most outstanding still-life painter of the Valencian Baroque, and in fact he is responsible for the greatest interest in this genre in the Valencian sphere. Although he was born around 1610, Hiepes began his artistic production in the second half of the century and continued to work until the 1970s, although his painting does not show any major stylistic changes throughout his production. In his work we can appreciate a search for geometry and symmetry through the composition of the flowers, which he arranges in a radial manner, in the manner of the early Spanish Baroque, as we can see in this canvas. His aesthetic language is characterised by several features that can be seen in this work. These include the importance of naturalism, a detailed and precise technique, especially visible in the qualities of the objects, a mainly warm, typically Valencian colour range, the influence of the Neapolitan still life in the brightness and sumptuousness of some elements and a certain tenebrist character in the lighting. With regard to the biographical information on Tomás Hiepes, there is no extensive bibliography that can establish his entire artistic career. It is known that his works were signed between 1642 and 1674, the year of his death. His works are currently held in various private collections and important art centres, including the Museo del Prado, the Museo de Bellas Artes in Valencia and the Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales in Madrid, among other public and private collections.

Valorac. 7 000 - 8 000 EUR

Lote 90 - Spanish or Italian school; XVIII century. "San Antonio". Oil on canvas. Relined from the 19th century. It has a XIX century frame with faults. Measurements: 150 x 107 cm; 158 x 114 cm (frame). The present canvas represents St. Anthony of Padua as a young beardless man with wide monastic tonsure, dressed in a long Franciscan habit, kneeling in front of Jesus. The presence of the infant, which alludes to the vision he had in his cell, became the most popular attribute of this Franciscan saint from the sixteenth century, being especially popular in the Baroque art of the Counter-Reformation. St. Anthony of Padua is, after St. Francis of Assisi, the most popular of the Franciscan saints. He was born in Lisbon in 1195 and only spent the last two years of his life in Padua. After studying at the convent of Santa Cruz in Coimbra, in 1220 he entered the Order of Friars Minor, where he changed his first name, Fernando, to Antonio. After teaching theology in Bologna, he traveled through southern and central France, preaching in Arles, Montpellier, Puy, Limoges and Bourges. In 1227 he participated in the general chapter of Assisi. In 1230 he was in charge of the transfer of the remains of St. Francis. He preached in Padua and died there at the age of 36 in 1231. He was canonized only a year after his death, in 1232. Until the end of the 15th century, the cult of St. Anthony remained located in Padua. From the following century he became, at first, the national saint of the Portuguese, who placed under his patronage the churches they built abroad, and then a universal saint. He was invoked for the rescue of shipwrecked sailors and the liberation of prisoners. The Portuguese sailors invoked him to have good wind in the sails, fixing his image on the mast of the ship. Nowadays, he is invoked mainly to recover lost objects. However, there is no trace of this last patronage before the 17th century. It seems to be due to a play on words with his name: he was called Antonio de Pade or de Pave, an abbreviation of Padua (Padova). From there, it was attributed to him the gift of recovering the epaves, that is to say, the lost goods. He is represented as a beardless young man with a large monastic tonsure, dressed in a habit, and usually appears with the Child Jesus, holding him in his arms, in allusion to an apparition he had in his cell. It became the most popular attribute of this saint from the 16th century onwards, being especially popular in the Baroque art of the Counter-Reformation.

Valorac. 1 600 - 2 000 EUR

Lote 91 - Spanish school of the 17th century and later. "Archangel St. Michael". Carved and polychrome wood. Presents faults. Measurements: 106 x 64 x 46 cm. Wood carving representing the archangel St. Michael in full body, dressed in armor. He raises his right hand, in which he would brandish a sword with which he would be ready to finish off the devil (in this sculpture not represented). This is a dynamic and naturalistic work, with a classic work of anatomy. According to tradition, St. Michael is the head of the heavenly militia and defender of the Church. Precisely for this reason he fights against the rebellious angels and the dragon of the Apocalypse. He is also psychopomp, that is to say, he leads the dead and weighs the souls on the day of the Last Judgment. Scholars have linked his cult to that of several gods of antiquity: Anubis in Egyptian mythology, Hermes and Mercury in classical mythology, and Wotan in Norse mythology. In the West, the cult of St. Michael began to develop from the 5th and 6th centuries, first in Italy and France, and then spreading to Germany and the rest of Christendom. The kings of France gave him a particular veneration from the 14th century, and the Counter-Reformation made him the head of the church against the Protestant heresy, giving a new impulse to his cult. St. Michael the Archangel is therefore a military saint, and therefore patron saint of knights and of all trades related to arms, as well as to the scales, for his role as apocalyptic judge.

Valorac. 2 000 - 2 500 EUR

Lote 92 - Italian school, first half of the 17th century. "Penitent Saint Jerome". Oil on canvas. Re-drawn. Leaps and restorations. Measurements: 132 x 95 cm. In this painting ascribed to the Italian Baroque, St. Jerome is represented in the foreground taking a skull in his hands and opening in front of him, in a random page, a volume of the Gospels. Both attributes are symbolically interpreted as a reflection on the vanity of earthly goods and the fleeting nature of existence (the Vanitas theme), as well as the saint's role as the first translator of the Bible. The wiry features of the face are chiselled with expressive chiaroscuro. The intense contrasts of light, rooted in the Caravaggist tradition, lend a supernatural quality to the landscape of cobalt shades in which the saint is depicted. The long beard sparkles in subtle golden locks, and the bronze tone is prolonged in the vivid flesh tones. The half-open lips and the folds of the forehead concentrate a highly emotive image, characteristic of 17th-century devotional paintings. One of the four great Doctors of the Latin Church, 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. One of the most frequent representations of this saint is his penance in the desert. His attributes are the stone he uses to beat his chest and the skull on which he meditates. Also the cardinal's cape (or a red mantle), although he was never a cardinal, and the tamed lion. The latter comes from a story in the "Golden Legend", where it is narrated that one day, when he was explaining the Bible to the monks in his convent, he saw a lion limping towards him. He removed the thorn from its paw, and from then on kept it in his service, instructing it to look after his donkey while it grazed. Some merchants stole the donkey, and the lion recovered it, returning it to the saint without hurting the animal.

Valorac. 3 500 - 4 500 EUR

Lote 93 - Spanish school; early 18th century. "Saint Anthony of Padua". Oil on canvas. Re-drawn. It presents faults on the pictorial surface. It has a 20th century frame. Measurements: 63 x 45 cm; 73 x 54,5 cm (frame). Saint Anthony of Padua or of Lisbon (Lisbon, ca. 1191 to 1195 - Padua, 1231) was a Franciscan friar, preacher and theologian, venerated for his miracles and as a saint and Doctor of the Church, who was first a member of the Order of regular canons of Saint Augustine, until he became a Franciscan in 1220. St. Anthony of Padua is, after St. Francis of Assisi, the most popular of the Franciscan saints. He is depicted as a beardless young man in broad monastic tonsure, dressed in a habit, and is often shown with the Infant Jesus, holding him in his arms, alluding to an apparition he had in his cell. It became the most popular attribute of this saint from the 16th century onwards, being especially popular in the Baroque art of the Counter-Reformation.

Valorac. 200 - 300 EUR

Lote 94 - Italian school; 18th century. "Rebecca and Eliezer at the well". Oil on canvas. Relined. It presents restorations on the pictorial surface. Measurements: 63 x 47 cm; 77 x 61,5 cm (frame). The painting narrates an episode from the Genesis (24: 18-20), relative to the choice of a wife for Isaac. When his days were drawing to an end, Abraham began to think about finding a wife for his son. He did not want him to marry a woman from Canaan, the land where they lived, but from Ur, where he was born. So Abraham called one of his servants, Eliezer, and told him that God would help him find a wife for Isaac from among the relatives who lived in his homeland of Mesopotamia. The servant set out, and when he reached the gates of the city where Nahor, Abraham's brother, lived, he let his camels rest near a well. There he prayed to God, "Yahweh, God of my master Abraham, meet me today, and show yourself kind to my master Abraham. I will stand by the well of water while the women of the city come to fetch water; the young woman to whom I say, I pray you, tip your pitcher, that I may drink, and she says to me, 'Drink you, and I will give your camels drink also,' be she whom you intend for your servant Isaac." Before he finishes speaking, Rebekah, the young virgin granddaughter of Nahor, appears and goes to fill her pitcher with water. Eliezer asks her for some water from her pitcher, and she also offers to water his camels. The servant then offers her a ring and two gold bracelets, and asks her who she is and if she can stay overnight in her father's house, to which she agrees. Eliezer narrates her whole story point by point, and the family agrees to let Rebekah go to Abraham's house and marry Isaac. It presents restorations on the pictorial surface.

Valorac. 2 000 - 2 500 EUR

Lote 95 - Viceroyalty school, XVIII century. "Virgin of La Merced". Oil on canvas. It has slight wear on the pictorial surface. Measurements: 54 x 38 cm; 60,5 x 44 cm (frame). Devotional painting of viceroyalty, probably from Cuzco. The Virgin of entire body adopts the welcoming gesture of opening her arms to the world. It occupies a large part of the frame. She wears a white mantle supported by two angels flanking her, as do the pair of saints arranged in the lower part, respecting the compositional symmetry. We recognize the Virgin of Mercy by the scapular and the trap that she holds in her hands. From this we can interpret that one of the saints is Saint Peter Nolasco, founder of the Order of Mercy. It is a work typical of the novo-Hispanic art, determined by the subtlety and harmony of the whole. It is worth mentioning that, during the Spanish colonial domination, a mainly religious painting was developed, destined to Christianize 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, in the first years of the 19th century, already in times of independence and political opening of some of the colonies, several artists began to represent a new model of painting with its own identity.

Valorac. 400 - 600 EUR

Lote 96 - Catalan school from the end of the 17th century-early 18th century. Pair of baroque pilasters. Carved and lacquered wood. There are flaws in the lacquer. Measurements: 105 cm. and 97 cm. high. Pair of architectural pilasters with a grooved base in the shape of a stipe and carved in its upper part with the sculptural representation of two pious figures endowed with great naturalistic expressiveness. One of them joins hands in prayer and raises her gaze to heaven. The other crosses her arms over her chest and holds a bunch of grapes, the Christian symbol par excellence. The carver has succeeded in bringing out the qualities of the aged flesh of the kindly faces. Veils and tunics take on the malleability of fabric. In the 17th century, the Catholic Church encouraged popular religiosity and reinforced the power of the image as an instrument for communicating its doctrine. Population growth and the appearance of new religious orders led to the expansion of churches, and altarpieces, stained glass windows and architectural sculptures became open books for the faithful.

Valorac. 1 800 - 2 000 EUR

25th September - Old Masters

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Lote 12 - Italian school of the 18th century. "The escape". Oil on canvas. Relined. With 19th century Spanish frame. With restorations. Measurements: 70 x 97 cm; 81 x 107 cm (frame).

Lote 13 - Italian school; XIX century. "Neptune". Gilt bronze and marble base. He has faults. Measures: 17 x 12 x 7 cm; 25 cm (base height).

Lote 16 - Spanish school or Italy; second half of the eighteenth century. "Aurora and Cefalo". Oil on canvas. Relined. It presents repainting and flaws on the pictorial surface. Measures: 48 x 65 cm.