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VIRGIN WOMAN WITH CHILD, 17TH TO 18TH CENTURIES

Spanish school of the late 17th century – early 18th century. “Virgin and Child”. Carved and polychrome wood. Devotional image carved in wood in the round and polychrome, framed within the late Spanish Baroque. It is a sculpture of monumental conception, with large and monolithic figures, with volumes enhanced through the ample folds of Mary's tunic. The Virgin appears standing, holding the Child on her lap, in a naturalistic position, full of movement. Thus, we see how Mary, to compensate for the weight of the Child, leans her back backwards, while Jesus leans forwards in turn, thus compensating the composition. The Child appears raising his right hand in a sign of blessing, while the other hand rests on a sphere, a symbol of the universality of Christian doctrine and of Christ's redemptive act. Spanish Baroque sculpture is one of the most authentic and personal examples of our art, because its conception and its form of expression arose from the people and from the deepest feelings that nestled within them. With the State's economy in ruins, the nobility in decline and the high clergy burdened with heavy taxes, it was the monasteries, parishes and brotherhoods of clergy and lay people that promoted its development, the works being financed on occasion by popular subscription. Sculpture was thus forced to express the ideals that prevailed in these environments, which were none other than religious ones, at a time when the counter-reformist doctrine demanded from art a realistic language so that the faithful 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. Religious subject matter is, therefore, the preferred theme of Spanish sculpture in this period, which began in the first decades of the century with a priority interest in capturing nature, to progressively intensify throughout the century the embodiment of expressive values, which was achieved through movement and the variety of gestures, the use of light resources and the representation of moods and feelings.

· Size: 32x26x70 cms.
ANTIQUES
SCULPTURE

Ref.: Z2514
SAINT PAUL\'S SCULPTURE. 16TH CENTURY

Spanish school of the 16th century. "Saint Paul". Carved and polychrome wood. A devotional image carved in wood, polychrome and gilded, representing the apostle Saint Paul, dressed in a tunic and cloak, with a parted beard, brown hair and a large sword, his main iconographic attribute. In the Middle Ages, numerous corporations were placed under his patronage, due to different aspects of his iconography, life and miracles. However, Saint Paul was never a popular saint, which proves the relative poverty of his iconography. In fact, the role he occupies in art is not proportional to his importance in the spread of Christianity. In early Christian art, his only attributes are a book or a scroll, and in the 13th century his emblem appears, the sword that was the instrument of his martyrdom. Once the clash between tradition and modernity was overcome, with the arrival of the influences of the Italian Renaissance in Spain, the full 16th century was characterised by the great development achieved by religious imagery. Likewise, stylistically there was a confrontation between the classicist sculptors and those of Flemish affiliation, who sought more dramatic and emotional approaches. Thus, the spread of religious images in Spain was based on two fundamental bases. On the one hand, the fact that the Nordic influence constituted a clearly differentiated alternative to the Italian classicist model; on the other, the emotional sense, which the religious image had to acquire due to its own function, was oriented more towards enhancing the feeling, to moving the faithful, than to following the rationalist dictates of the Renaissance. So much so that in Spain, attention to the emotional had a more relevant character than in the rest of Europe. In this way the image, associated with the words of the preachers, was the most suitable instrument for the indoctrination of the people and for the defense of the canons of the Church, following scholastic and not humanistic approaches.

· Size: 19x12x39 cms.
ANTIQUES
SCULPTURE

Ref.: Z3024
PAIR OF POLYCHROMED WOODEN SCULPTURES. “SAINTS APOSTLES JOHN AND PAUL”...

Pair of polychrome wooden sculptures. “Saint John and Saint Paul”. Castilian school, 16th century. Both male figures are depicted standing, with their main iconographic attributes and dressed in the timeless tunics that the period reserved for sacred persons. The younger one holds a chalice in his hand, from which a snake emerges, and an eagle at his feet; the bearded man holds a sword with the hilt visible. The first is Saint John, with the Tetramorph eagle alluding to his Gospel, and the chalice related to the episode of the Golden Legend of James of the Voragine in which he tells how the Emperor Domitian tried to kill him with poisoned wine, which escaped in the form of a snake after the evangelist blessed the cup. The second is Saint Paul, with that characteristic appearance that relates him to much earlier paleo-Christian works and with the sword of his martyrdom, which also refers to a text from his Letter to the Ephesians. Stylistically, both devotional carvings in the round show a marked Italian Renaissance influence in the drapery, contrapposto, proportions and gestures, distancing the works from the other trend of the time which was closer to Flemish models, which preferred greater drama. Gothic has been left behind, as demonstrated by the naturalness of the faces, folds, anatomy and gestures, after much effort. It was necessary to first accustom the clientele to the new tastes and for the artists to learn the technical and aesthetic novelties that the arrival of the Renaissance entailed, and it developed in different periods and at very different levels depending on the region or the artist. Compare the works, for example, with the San Juan de circo by Juan Rodríguez from the Fundación Simón Díaz (work housed in the Museo de las Ferias in Medina del Campo, Valladolid).

· Size: 26x26x76 cms.
ANTIQUES
SCULPTURE

Ref.: Z3642
BRONZE BUST. “RAMÓN ARANAZ”. BY ANTONIO YERRO FELTRER (VALENCIA, 1842-...

“Ramón Aranaz”. Bust in bronze. Antonio Yerro Feltrer (Valencia, 1842-1911). Signed. Founder “V. Ríos”. Bust of Ramón Aranaz (Valencia 1831-Madrid 1898), businessman, banker and Valencian politician, dressed in a suit and with a ribbon across his chest. The sculptor, Antonio Yerro, studied at the Academy of Fine Arts of San Carlos in Valencia, and won various prizes at exhibitions such as the National Fine Arts Exhibition of 1884 and was awarded several decorations in recognition of his artistic merits.

· Size: 27x22x39 cms.
ANTIQUES
SCULPTURE

Ref.: Z3707
”SATYR”. TERRACOTTA. AFTER MODELS FROM CLODION, CLAUDE MICHEL (FRANCE,...

“Satyr”. Patinated terracotta. Following models by CLODION, Claude Michel (France, 1738-1814). Late 19th century-early 20th century. A patinated terracotta sculpture consisting of an oval base decorated with simple architectural elements of classical influence and a tondo with a bust enhanced by a garland and two figures. These, lying on the upper part, are a satyr (with his usual goat-like legs) raising a bunch of grapes, and a young nymph, who embraces him while trying to reach these fruits. Compare this sculpture (not so much the base) with the one entitled “Nymph and Satyr” from the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon (Portugal), related to the sculptor Claude Michel, highlighting the similarities and differences. Pieces similar to the present work, also known as “Satyr Feeding a Nymph Grapes”, are kept in several private collections. Claude Michel “Clodion” (1730-1814) was a French sculptor who trained with Lambert Sigisbert Adam and Jean-Baptiste Pigalle. He was recognised with numerous awards (the Prix de Rome in 1762, etc.) and had an important workshop in Paris from 1771. Although he also produced large-scale works, he is above all known for his small-format sculptural works, made in bronze (or other materials such as corrugated iron or terracotta, for example), and which had a very important influence both during the sculptor's lifetime and long after his death on a large number of works inspired by his creations.

· Size: 38x31x40 cms.
ANTIQUES
SCULPTURE

Ref.: Z5882
BRONZE “WOUNDED FIGHTING BULL”.

Bronze sculpture, “Wounded Bull”. Signed “F. Bonilla Villalba” on the base. On a wooden pedestal, the figure of a bull is placed after the banderillas and death stages, as the elements used in both can be seen: three banderillas and the estoque. Thanks to the great quality of the artist, one can see both the moment when the bull is about to expire and bellows as well as the blood that flows from its wounds. The drama is accentuated thanks to the particular treatment of the animal's skin.

· Size: 55x27x40 cms.
ANTIQUES
SCULPTURE

Ref.: Z6180
POLYCHROMED AND “ESTOFADA” WOODEN SCULPTURE. “LUKE THE EVANGELIST”. 16...

Polychrome and upholstered wood carving. “Saint Luke the Evangelist”. 16th century. Freestanding devotional figure of a bearded man standing with one knee raised to support a tablet on which he is writing. Beneath his left leg, a bull is looking towards him, lying on the ground. The clothing reveals the gold base that forms the stew. Saint Luke is frequently represented as a middle-aged, bearded man, accompanied by the Tetramorph animal with which he is associated (Revelation 4:6-7), an element that is also due to a verse in the Book of Ezekiel (1:10). The act of writing alludes to his authorship of one of the Gospels, although the Acts of the Apostles are also attributed to him. The image belonged to an altarpiece, hence the back part is barely worked and polychrome, and it was placed alone or as part of a scene such as a Last Judgement. Stylistically, the image's upholstery and its design are details that remain from the Gothic tradition. However, the correct anatomy of the figure, the contained movement conveyed by the drapes and its posture, and the naturalism and expression of its face relate the work to the Renaissance. In Spain, this artistic style was introduced during the 16th century, with great differences depending on the region and artist. After an initial stage in which strong medieval influences were still present, the second third of the century saw the introduction of Mannerism by artists who had travelled to Italy and returned with the novelties. It is with this second stage that the sculpture is most closely related, without forgetting the medieval details that it still maintains and the restraint of its movement and expressiveness. Compare, for example, with the works of Alonso de Berruguete and Juan de Juni, the evangelists Saint Luke and Saint Mark from the church of Santa Eulalia de Ganuza, today in the Diocesan Museum of Pamplona. Requires cleaning and polychrome restoration.

· Size: 16x7x36 cms,
ANTIQUES
SCULPTURE

Ref.: Z6546
”VIRGIN WITH CHILD ON THE THRONE”. BOXWOOD, BRONZE AND ROCK CRYSTAL. 1...

Enthroned Virgin and Child. Boxwood, bronze and carved rock crystal. 19th century. On a padded base, there is a second base made of bronze, the metal from which the throne is made. It stands on four low columns with smooth shafts and capitals decorated with scrolls and simplified plant forms, decorative elements that are repeated at the waist, combined with oval blue beads; the backrest, square and openwork with very schematic scrolls, is topped with four carved rock crystal pearls. The Virgin Mary is seated on it, with a crown that repeats the decorative elements of the throne, dressed in a tunic and cloak and with a book in her hand. The Child Jesus, on her lap, also looks forward, while blessing with his right hand. The iconography comes, as usual, from Byzantine models: among the types of Theotokos, the Panakranta or Panacranta is the one in which Mary appears seated on a throne, with the Child on her lap and both facing the spectator, showing what was agreed at the IV Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon (451 AD). These arrived in Europe already in the Romanesque, developing the iconography of the West. The present work can be compared with the Italo-Byzantine icon of the 13th century preserved in the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC (United States), or the carving of the "Virgin of the Battles" of the Monastery of San Pedro de Arlanza, made around 1225-1235, and preserved in the Museum of Burgos, or the Romanesque one from the mid-17th century today in the Museum of Fine Arts of Buenos Aires (Argentina), although there are a large number of examples. However, details such as the decoration of the capitals, the anatomy shown by the two figures, the scrolls of the throne and the crown, the folds of the draperies, a certain air in the faces despite their schematization, the symmetry present in various points of the work, etc., show that the carving belongs to a date closer to the present. Specifically, to the style known as Neo-Gothic: this was inspired by works from the 13th to the 15th-16th centuries and was opposed to the preceding Neoclassical style; it was born in England towards the middle of the 18th century, and spread throughout continental Europe in the 19th century.

· Size: 10x10x24 cms
ANTIQUES
SCULPTURE

Ref.: Z6707
”SAINT ROCH”. POLYCHROMED AND GILT WOOD SCULPTURE. JUAN DE ANCHIETA WO...

“San Roque”. Sculpture in polychrome and upholstered wood. Surroundings of Juan de Anchieta, 16th century. A bearded male figure stands, holding a book and wearing a pilgrim's hat on his back, and is shown showing his right leg and resting his foot on a quadruped with something in its mouth. To his right, a naked child looks towards the saint while touching the saint's leg with his left hand. The image is shown with the angel on his left, the plague wound or bubo on his leg (normally, the one he shows is the other one), the pilgrim's hat and cloak and the dog with the loaf of bread placed under one of his feet in a very unusual way. All these attributes help to identify the image with Saint Roch, an Occitan pilgrim canonised in 1584 who was highly venerated before this date, above all, for being considered a healing saint, especially in cases of pestilence. The influence of the Italian Renaissance can be clearly seen in the sculpture: that of Michelangelo in the corporeality and anatomy of the two figures, the expressiveness of the saint, the composition, etc. These details, together with other peculiarities such as the hair and the proportions, allow us to relate the sculpture to the workshop of Juan de Anchieta (Azpeitia, ca. 1533 - Pamplona, 1588), a sculptor of great importance in 16th century Spanish art with work in northern Castile, Aragon, the Basque Country, Navarre and Burgos, and considered one of the leading figures of Romanism. It is believed that he trained in Italy, hence his stylistic connection with certain works by Jacopo della Quercia and, above all, his inspiration from the works of Michelangelo. The influence of the focus of Valladolid is also clear in his style, where he is documented between 1565 and 1570. Compare, for example, with the altarpiece of the church of San Pedro de Zumaia (Pamplona), finished in 1577, the commissions he carried out for the Cathedral of Burgos between 1576 and 1578 (Coronation of the Virgin and carving of Mary located above the choir lectern), or the main altarpiece of the Parish of Santa María de Tafalla carried out between 1581 and 1583. He set up his workshop in Pamplona, with numerous commissions, and his style was so appreciated that it would influence works carried out in Aragon throughout the first third of the 17th century.

· Size: 16x11x25 cms.
ANTIQUES
SCULPTURE

Ref.: ZE062
CROWN. POLYCHROMED WOOD. 18TH CENTURY.

Finial. Carved and polychrome wood. 18th century. Carved, polychrome and gilded wooden finial decorated with a light relief based on lying "C" volutes joined in pairs at one end and plant elements arranged in a rigid symmetrical composition with a clear classicist influence with movement of lines and a volume that is not too pronounced.

· Size: 145x10x68 cms.
ANTIQUES

Ref.: Z4926
CHILD JESUS. WOOD. SPANISH SCHOOL, 17TH CENTURY.

“Baby Jesus”. Carved and polychrome wood. Spanish school, 17th century. Later pedestal. Christ is presented naked, with a slight contrapposto in the legs and hips that give some movement to the sculpture and with delicate flesh tones. He keeps his gaze fixed forward, while raising one arm in an attitude of blessing, and holds a golden orb alluding to Creation with the other hand. His curly, blond hair has a tuft in the centre of his head. The sculpture is enhanced by a pedestal, modern but inspired by Spanish Baroque models, formed by lines with a lot of movement and decorated with architectural elements of classical influence, among which the pairs of protruding volutes from the fronts stand out. Although the forelock is reminiscent of the works of Martínez Montañés, in this example the hair is clearly curly. Compare this work with works such as those preserved in the Museum of Fine Arts in Córdoba, with one in the Municipal Museum of La Roda, some from the Royal Monastery of Las Descalzas in Madrid, etc. This type of work was made to be worn, and was normally intended for a female religious setting (it was considered that female devotion should not be directed towards certain works or iconography of the Passion because it was too strong), or some private oratory in some important residence.

· Size: 41x32x87 cms
ANTIQUES

Ref.: Z6564
VIRGIN WITH CHILD. POLYCHROMED WOOD. SPANISH SCHOOL, 13TH CENTURY.

Virgin and Child. Carved and polychrome wood. Spanish school, 13th century. It has faults. Polychrome wooden carving showing the Virgin sitting on a throne, with her right hand raised holding a spherical object, dressed in a long tunic and cloak and wearing a veil and crown, also holding on one knee the Child, who is shown sitting on one of his mother's knees, dressed in a red and gold tunic and also a crown on his head. Iconographically, this type of work was common during the Romanesque period in Europe, a time when Christian theology saw the Virgin as a vehicle of Salvation, thanks to the figure of her son Jesus. Over time (and the theological work of highlighting the role of Mary as Mother of God), the initially hieratic pose of this group varied, an example of which is the present sculpture. Compare with Our Lady of the Snows of Villaumbroso in Palencia (14th century), or the Virgin of Mirón in Soria (carving from the 14th century), or the repainted Virgin of the Cerca de Andosilla in Navarre (13th-14th centuries), or the one in the church of San Pedro Apóstol de Arbués in Huesca which has been dated to the 14th century (similar to the one present on the throne, the crowns, the posture of Jesus, etc.), or the one from the last third of the 13th century which belongs to the collections of the Prado Museum in Madrid, the one from the Rosary of Villálvaro in Soria (14th century), etc.

· Size: 28x20x90 cms
ANTIQUES

Ref.: ZE087
PAIR OF ANGELS. POLYCHROMED WOOD. SPANISH SCHOOL, 17TH CENTURY.

Pair of torch-bearing angels. Carved and polychrome wood. Spanish school, 17th century. They present faults. Pair of human-shaped carvings made of polychrome wood showing two angels each raising one arm and standing on clouds with winged heads, following models that were common since the Renaissance. Known as lamp-bearing angels or thurifers, they were carvings that were usually placed on important altars to hold lamps or incense burners, being identified with angels or archangels. Compare, for example, the lamp-bearing angels of the Hermitage of La Soledad in Cantillana (Seville, Spain) made between 1780 and 1799 to see, more or less, the function of these sculptures. But it must be remembered that, stylistically, they belong to the Spanish Baroque school (material, movement, etc.).

· Size: 32x16x71 cms.
ANTIQUES

Ref.: ZE130
PAIR OF RELIEFS; GROTESQUE OR CANDELIERI. POLICHROMED AND GILDED WOOD....

Pair of reliefs; grotesques or candelieri. Carved, polychrome and gilded wood. 16th century. Pair of reliefs made of hand-carved, gilded and polychrome wood, each showing a winged angel's head (or putti), placed on a vertical element that acts as an axis of symmetry for the composition of the relief. The rest of the motifs that complete the works are leaves with scrolls, floral or vegetal details, latticework, mouldings, all of clear classicist influence. The background does not present any decorative element, neither carved nor painted, thus leaving the spotlight to the aforementioned elements. This type of composition was very common in the Renaissance throughout Europe, when the “fashion” of grotesques spread from Italy. Compare, for example, the frieze reflected in an image of the work by Diego de Sagredo entitled “Medidas del Romano” (1526, Toledo); details of the Chapel of Santa Librada in the Cathedral of Sigüenza by Francisco de Baeza (around 1520); others from the façade of the Escuelas Mayores of the University of Salamanca; Main Altarpiece of the Collegiate Church of Torrijos (Toledo), commissioned in 1558 from Juan Correa de Vivar; etc. It should be noted that these decorative motifs will have a long tradition in Spanish art. It is quite possible that the present relief plaque was created to form part of an altar in a church although it is not decorated with a religious theme (note that the theme of “winged heads”, often called “putti”, also comes from Italy and is found in both civil and religious works).

· Size: 14x5x22 cms.
ANTIQUES

Ref.: ZE238
COLUMN. POLYCHROMED AND GILDED WOOD. 16TH CENTURY

Column. Carved, polychrome and gilded wood. 16th century. Carved and polychrome wooden column with a capital reminiscent of the Composite Order of Classical Antiquity (volutes, acanthus leaves in levels, etc.), a series of mouldings separating the shaft from the rest of the elements, a fluted shaft with a strip at the bottom with figurative elements and latticework, and a base with prominent upward-facing volutes and smooth mouldings at the corners. The aforementioned frieze shows a series of figures with only cloth hangings behind them as the background and carrying a series of elements (flowers, one with a tower with three windows that could be linked to Saint Barbara, etc.). In some details it is reminiscent of columns from other notable works such as the High Altarpiece of Our Lady of the Assumption of Tudela de Duero in Valladolid (last quarter of the 16th century-early 17th century, with designs by Manuel Álvarez and Francisco de la Maza); the High Altarpiece of the Cathedral of Astorga (1558-1584, following the architectural designs of Gaspar Becerra) has fluted columns with the lower part decorated with figurative reliefs; this detail is also present in the altarpiece of the Virgin Mary of Corcos del Valle (last quarter of the 16th century); etc.

· Size: 28x28x90 cms
ANTIQUES

Ref.: ZE239
GOLDEN PHEASANT. POLYCHROMED BRONZE. VIENNA, 19TH CENTURY.

Golden pheasant. Polychrome bronze. Vienna, 19th century. Polychrome bronze figure depicting a perched male golden pheasant. A bird originally from Asia, it was already known in the West in the 18th century (it appears in the tenth edition of Linnaeus' Systema Naturae) and appreciated for the bright colours of the male's plumage. In the 19th century, Vienna (and other European centres) produced bronze centrepieces and decorative figures of great originality and quality, usually with an exotic touch provided by anthropomorphic or animal motifs. Weight: 991 grams.

· Size: 33x9x17,5 cms.
ANTIQUES

Ref.: ZE262
LETTER HOLDER. POLYCHROMED BRONZE. VIENNA, 19TH CENTURY.

Letter holder. Polychrome bronze. Vienna, 19th century. Polychrome bronze letter holder in the shape of a lectern decorated with elements of strong classicist influence (and reminiscent of the Renaissance and Mannerism) holding a folder, decorated on what would be its cover with a composition featuring two swallows pecking at a garland. In the 19th century, it was They made in Vienna (and in other European centres) table centres and decorative figures in bronze of great originality and quality, usually with an exotic touch provided by anthropomorphic or animal motifs. In the present case, the influence is from artistic styles prior to the period, which is common in 19th century art. Weight: 1700 grams.

· Size: 21,5x16x27 cms
ANTIQUES

Ref.: ZE263
ANGEL. METAL. 19TH CENTURY.

Angel. Silver-plated metal. 19th century. Figure of an angel or archangel made of silver-plated metal, standing on a base resembling clouds. This type of sculpture was common in the 19th century both for churches and for personal altars, alone holding lamps or incense burners or forming part of a composition. Weight: 4.7 kg.

· Size: 20x17x29 cms.
ANTIQUES

Ref.: ZE294
POLYCHROMED WOOD BASE OR PEDESTAL. SPANISH SCHOOL, 17TH CENTURY.

Base. Carved and polychrome wood. Spanish school, 17th century. Rectangular base, made of carved and polychrome wood in grey tones, which has been decorated with a series of mouldings and toruses, some smooth and others enhanced with a fine relief of plant elements and garlands with a clear classicist influence. The piece is finished off with a spike to secure the sculpture that is placed on it. Weight: 6.4 kg.

· Size: 37x25x44 cms , altura base 23 cms
ANTIQUES

Ref.: ZE346
BASE. WOOD. SPANISH SCHOOL, 17TH CENTURY.

Base. Carved and gilded wood. Spanish school, 17th century. Base for sculpture made of carved and gilded wood, rectangular and flat, slightly raised on circular legs and decorated on the front and sides with carved plant and architectural elements with a clear classicist influence and baroque lines. The upper part has exposed wood, and when turned over, you can see that the back is ungilded and hollow. Weight: 9.5 kg.

· Size: 63x44x23 cms
ANTIQUES

Ref.: ZE347
BASE FOR SCULPTURE. POLYCHROMED AND GILDED WOOD.

Scallop base. Carved and polychrome wood. Inspired by 17th century models. Rectangular pedestal with a similar cushion on the top (decorated with plant elements) and complex lines of curves and counter-curves enhanced with architectural elements, including “C” volutes arranged in pairs on each side. At the bottom, the corner claws and the cut-out lower profile are noteworthy. Weight: 3.85 kg.

· Size: 42x33x24 cms.
ANTIQUES

Ref.: ZE370
PAIR OF RELIEVES, HEAD OF ANGEL. POLYCHROMED WOOD. SPANISH SCHOOL, 16T...

Reliefs with angel heads. Polychrome and gilded wood. Spanish school, 16th century. Pair of rectangular panels with a ring for hanging on the back, which feature two deep figurative reliefs on the front. On a gold background, two winged children's heads are shown, one looking to each side. Note the gold details on the feathers, with a somewhat heraldic arrangement and shape, and the pictorial treatment of the hair. This type of relief was very common in the Spanish school from the Renaissance onwards to decorate altars, reredos, etc. Weight: 600 grams.

· Size: 32x6x11 cms
ANTIQUES

Ref.: ZE371
SAINT ALOYSIUS DE GONZAGA (TO DRESS UP). POLYCHROMED WOOD, ETC. SPANIS...

San Luis Gonzaga, dressing room. Polychrome wood, etc. Spanish school, 18th century. A sculpture made of polychrome wood, which shows, on a rectangular base, a young man without a beard, with a black body and a polychrome face, neck, hands and part of the arms. This treatment is common in sculptures created to be dressed (note also the arms articulated at two points each – shoulder and elbow). Attached to one ankle is an old piece of metal and two nails in the feet, which could be an old reinforcement that, in turn, suggests that the work was carried in a procession (there is another piece with screws in the head). As is common in this type of work in the Spanish school since the Baroque, the eyes are made of glass. Saint Aloysius Gonzaga (Castiglione delle Stiviere, 9 March 1568 – Rome, 21 June 1591) was an Italian Jesuit priest canonised in 1726 by Benedict XIII, who declared him patron saint of youth. While in the service of Philip II, he married a lady of Queen Isabella of Valois; he also served in the Spanish court as a page to Prince Don Diego, heir to the monarch, but ended up ceding his rights as first-born to his brother to enter the Society of Jesus (novitiate in Rome in 1583), despite his father's efforts to prevent it. He died after caring for people affected by the plague in this Italian city. He is represented as a young man dressed in a black cassock and surplice or as a young page. His attributes are a lily, referring to his innocence; a cross, referring to his piety and sacrifice; a skull, referring to his early death; and a rosary, referring to his devotion to the Virgin Mary.

· Size: 39x26x134 cms.
ANTIQUES

Ref.: ZE427
”MADONNA WITH CHILD AND ANGELS”. BRONZE AND LAPIS LAZULI. ITALY, 15TH-...

Relief “Virgin and Child with Angels”. Italy, 15th-16th centuries. Bronze in its color and gold, lapis lazuli, rock crystal, enamel. In the centre of the work, the enthroned figure of Mary is shown, with a cloak over her shoulders and hair and holding the Child on her knees, who appears to be addressing one of the angels. The Virgin is also sheltered by an ogee arch supported by turned columns and elevated visually by steps. This composition achieves a very striking contrast: the figure in dark bronze, in contrast with the lapis lazuli background and the part of the arch and its exterior, in gilded bronze. Below the steps appears a heraldic shield in enamel with a key on an azure background. The kneeling angels are flanking this figure, and, as they appear in dark bronze, they visually share the “category” of religious figures with Mary, while their (lower) position gives greater status to both the Mother and Jesus. The rest of the composition is completed with a delicate landscape: buildings and walls on mountains, clouds in the sky, plants, stones, etc. Towards the outside, there is another lapis lazuli frame decorated in the corners with appliqués, giving way to the carved and polychrome wood frame. Lapis lazuli is a semi-precious stone that was already known in the 7th millennium BC, found in deposits from the Caucasus to Mauritania. From the end of the Middle Ages, its export to Europe increased, and it was used more frequently since then both as a pigment in paintings after being ground (giving rise to the finest and most expensive of blues, and of colours in many cases), as a background for paintings, inlays in works of art, jewellery and, a little later, in the well-known “hard stone works”. The figure of Mary still shows an influence of Gothic models, although more European than Italian, together with elements that could already indicate a closeness to the Renaissance: although the nakedness of Jesus is already shown in Gothic works (Madonna with Angels by Fra Angelico), the creation of space by means of the play with the cloth in front of Christ can be appreciated in more advanced paintings (Madonna and Child by Domenico Ghirlandaio, National Gallery, London); the presence of a powerful throne can frequently be seen in Italian Madonnas of the Quattrocento (and before), but not quite as it is presented here. As for the landscape, it should be compared, for example, with that of the fresco by Condottiero Guidoriccio of Fogliano (Simone Martini, finished in 1328). This is a work of great technical and aesthetic quality, not to mention the materials chosen for its creation, comparable only to outstanding examples from around the world, such as those preserved in the Palazzo Madama in Turin (Italy), in which coral also plays an important role. Also worth mentioning are works such as the plaque of hard stones (lapis lazuli among them) with a relief of Mary and Child in bronze, made around 1580-1600 in Italy and preserved in the Art Institute of Chicago; or the “Panorama della Piazza della Signoria” (Jacopo Bilivert, ca. 1599) from the Pitti Museum; or the “Banquet of the Gods”, based on a design by Guglielmo della Porta, preserved in the Metropolitan Museum of New York.

· Size: 20x22,5x3,5
ANTIQUES

Ref.: ZF0123