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

Pair of reliefs, San Juan and San Mateo. Polychrome wood. Possibly, Burgos school, 16th century. Pair of reliefs made of carved and polychrome wood that each show a seated human figure writing, surrounded by books and accompanied by a figure respectively. One, with black hair and a beard, appears accompanied by another winged child figure who brings him an inkwell; The second, younger (beardless) and with blonde hair, is shown concentrating on a piece of parchment, while an eagle brings an inkwell to him with one paw, leaning on one of them. As corresponds to this type of theme, each of the Evangelists usually appears accompanied by the corresponding figure of the four that make up the Tetramorphs. Thus, Saint John is shown with the eagle and Saint Matthew with the “winged man.” Both are shown surrounded by books, in separate interiors decorated with gilded furniture and sitting 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 that can be found in Renaissance works. This classicist influence can also be seen in the figures (faces, folds, anatomy, posture, etc.) and in the environment that they occupy (for example, the moldings and volutes of the seats and desks, or the decoration already mentioned of the bindings of the books that appear in both works). The iconography that appears in this pair is common in Spanish art of the time, often located in the lower part of the altarpieces (Major Altarpiece of Foncea, Burgos school). Compare, for example, with the Saint John the Evangelist from 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 an attic From the bottom; or, to see a different composition, with the set of four Evangelists attributed to Felipe Bigarny (dated between 1501 and 1525) of the Castilian school from the National Museum of Sculpture (Valladolid); or with the relief of Saint Mark from the altarpiece of Saint Eulalia by Markinez or Marquinez from the Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art of Vitoria-Gasteiz (its sculpture attributed to the workshop of Juan de Ayala II and the polychrome to Santos Corres, dated in the second half of the sculpture and in 1747 polychrome). In addition to Felipe Vigarny, in the Burgos environment 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), along with masters such as Juan de Balmaseda, Andrés de Nájera, Juan de Juni (he also worked in the city), etc.

· Size: 72x4x99 cms.