TWO RELIEFS, EVANGELIST SAINTS JOHN AND MATTHEW. POLYCHROMED AND GILT WOOD. POSSIBLY BURGALESE SCHOOL, SPAIN, 16TH CENTURY.

Antiques -
Reference: ZF0662A

Pair of reliefs, Saint John and Saint Matthew. Polychrome wood. Possibly from the Burgos school, 16th century. Pair of reliefs made of carved and polychrome wood, each showing a human figure sitting and writing, surrounded by books and accompanied by a figure respectively. One, with black hair and a beard, is accompanied by another winged child figure who brings him an inkwell; the second, younger (beardless) and with blond hair, is shown concentrating on a scroll, while an eagle brings him an inkwell with one paw, resting on one of them. As is appropriate for this type of subject, each of the Evangelists is usually accompanied by the corresponding figure of the four that make up the Tetramorph. Thus, Saint John is shown with the eagle and Saint Matthew with the “winged man”. Both are shown surrounded by books, in interiors decorated with gilded furniture and seated on high-backed chairs or thrones. Note the vegetal scrolls on the books, furniture and walls, accompanied by candelieri elements and fish or dolphin heads, in compositions reminiscent of those found in Renaissance works. This classicist influence can also be seen in the figures (faces, folds, anatomy, posture, etc.) and in the environment they occupy (for example, the mouldings and scrolls on the seats and desks, or the aforementioned decoration on the bindings of the books that appear in both works). The iconography that appears in this couple is frequent in Spanish art of the period, often situated in the lower part of altarpieces (Main Altarpiece of Foncea, Burgos school). Compare, for example, with Saint John the Evangelist of the Main Altarpiece of the Assumption of Ullíbarri Viña (execution attributed to Juan de Ayala II, painted before 1579 by Juan de Oñate) in the Basque Country, where three books also appear in a loft in the background; or, to see a different composition, with the set of four Evangelists attributed to Felipe Bigarny (dated between 1501 and 1525) from the Castilian school of the National Sculpture Museum (Valladolid); or with the relief of Saint Mark from the altarpiece of Saint Eulalia by Markinez or Marquinez in the Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art in Vitoria-Gasteiz (its sculpture attributed to the workshop of Juan de Ayala II and the polychrome to Santos Corres, the sculpture dated in the second half of the 16th century and the polychrome in 1747). In addition to Felipe Vigarny, in the Burgos area it is necessary to take into account Bartolomé Ordóñez and Diego de Siloé (two of the most important names of the first third of the 16th century), together with masters such as Juan de Balmaseda, Andrés de Nájera, Juan de Juni (who also worked in the city), etc.

· Size: 72x4x99 cms.

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