POLYCHROMED AND “ESTOFADA” WOODEN SCULPTURE. “LUKE THE EVANGELIST”. 16TH CENTURY.

Polychrome and gilded wood carving. “Saint Luke the Evangelist”. 16th century. A freestanding devotional figure of a bearded man standing with one knee raised to support a tablet on which he writes. Beneath his left leg, a bull lies on the ground, looking towards him. The drapery reveals the gold base of the gilded decoration. Saint Luke is frequently depicted as a mature, bearded man, accompanied by the Tetramorph, the creature with which he is associated (Revelation 4:6-7), an element also derived from 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, which explains why the back is only sparsely decorated and polychromed, and it was either displayed alone or as part of a scene such as the Last Judgment. Stylistically, the gilding and design of the sculpture retain details from the Gothic tradition. However, the figure's accurate anatomy, the restrained movement conveyed by the drapery and posture, and the naturalism and expression of its face link the work to the Renaissance. In Spain, this artistic style was introduced throughout the 16th century, with significant variations depending on the region and artist. After an initial period in which strong medieval influences persisted, the second third of the century saw the introduction of Mannerism by artists who had traveled to Italy and returned with these innovations. The sculpture is most closely related to this second period, though it still retains medieval details and the restraint of its movement and expressiveness. Compare, for example, the works of Alonso de Berruguete and Juan de Juni, such as the Evangelists Saint Luke and Saint Mark from the Church of Santa Eulalia de Ganuza, now in the Diocesan Museum of Pamplona. It requires cleaning and restoration of polychromy.

· Size: 16x7x36 cms,