82 - Attributed to Melchor Pérez Holguín (Cochabamba, Bolivia, 1660 - Potosí, 1732)

Attributed to Melchor Pérez Holguín (Cochabamba, Bolivia, 1660 - Potosí, 1732) ‘Saint Ambrose, patron saint of beekeepers and of the city of Milan’ Oil on canvas. 100 x 71,5 cm. Commission for devotion and worship in a church with a congregation, a convent or monastery or for a wealthy landowner and their house or private chapel. A clear and serene portrayal of Saint Ambrose, patron saint of beekeepers was also the patron saint of the Italian city of Milan, where he served as bishop. Born in Germany (Trier), he died at a relatively young age in 397. He was one of the four doctors of the Western Church, alongside Saint Jerome, Saint Augustine of Hippo, and Saint Gregory, depicted wearing rich episcopal robes and a mitre, as he receives inspiration from the Holy Spirit. Following a close examination of this magnificent painting and the comparative analysis presented below in this catalogue entry, we believe it should be attributed to the Indigenous painter Melchor Pérez Holguín. This attribution becomes apparent when we consider the similarities between our saint and two paintings in the collection of the Phoenix Art Museum: a Saint Augustine of Hippo and a Saint Gregory the Great. Like the figure depicted here, both are Church Fathers. All three paintings share the characteristic gaunt faces, with sunken, bony cheeks, found in Melchor Pérez Holguín’s work from this period, together with their pallid, greyish complexions. The garments are also strikingly similar, particularly the saint’s cloak, rendered in shades of red and adorned with flowers characteristic of the region. In our opinion, the artist drew inspiration from engravings that travelled from Europe to the New World, such as the Saint Gregory painted by Carlo Saraceni around 1600. The adaptation of this saintly subject to a novohispanic colonial context is evident in the painting, which displays clear signs of syncretism and cultural reinterpretation, incorporating elements of Indigenous and mestizo iconography. The most striking features, apart from the darker complexion and Indigenous facial features of this Saint Ambrose, are the magnificent decorative elements in the Cuzco style, with an abundance of vividly coloured flowers intended to make the image more accessible to local worshippers. These colours, skilfully employed to create contrast and depth, are characteristic of Cuzco workshops. In this painting, beyond its technical execution, the iconography reinforces its devotional purpose through a strong sense of theatricality and visual impact. Holguín was one of the leading painters of viceregal mestizo Baroque art and a major figure of what became known as the School of Potosí, which flourished between 1700 and 1790. Its defining characteristics included tenebrism and the influence of Zurbarán. Holguín produced numerous works for the Franciscan and Dominican orders. He was born in Cochabamba, Bolivia, and died in Potosí. As Suzanne L. Stratton-Pruitt points out, although Holguín was certainly familiar with Cuzco painting, which was widely disseminated and exerted considerable stylistic influence throughout Upper Peru, his work remains highly individual and somewhat removed from that tradition. Nevertheless, he adopted certain elements commonly found in Cuzco painting, such as floral borders. Reference and photographic bibliography: - BENAVENTE, Teófilo y Alejandro Martínez. Historia del arte cusqueño: pintores cusqueños de la colonia. Cusco: Municipalidad Provincial del Cusco. 1995. - https://arcav1.uniandes.edu.co/artworks/5468#