Madrid school from the 17th century. Círculo de CORTE, Juan de la (Antwerp, c. 1585 – Madrid, 1662). “Wedding of Thetis and Peleus.” Oil on canvas. This work describes the wedding of the Nereid Thetis and Prince Peleus, parents of Achilles. It was celebrated on Mount Pelion, and all the deities attended, although Eris, the goddess of discord, was not invited. In revenge, she threw a golden apple on which it said "for the most beautiful", which caused the dispute between Athena, Aphrodite and Hera that led to the Judgment of Paris, finally causing the Trojan War. The banquet is represented with a composition worked in depth, located in a rich interior of classical architecture illuminated by the light of Apollo, which is located at the far end from the viewer. At the head of the table, in the foreground, appears Zeus, accompanied by the eagle and with Hera, queen of the gods, to his left. In the lower right corner we see a group of satyrs serving wine, accompanied by rich metal vessels worked with a meticulous and descriptive brushstroke. The rest of the gods appear clearly differentiated, with Athena in the foreground on the right and, following an agile zigzag rhythm, typically baroque, Aphrodite with Eros, Hermes and the bride and groom, on the left, and Poseidon on the right. Formally, it is a work perfectly framed within the Madrid school of the 17th century, developed around the court. Thus, we see a sumptuous, allegorical classicist baroque, where light and color studies take on special relevance, revealing the exalted and luminous tone typical of the maturity of this school. Specifically, we can relate this painting to the circle of Juan de la Corte, a painter of Flemish origin. Today we know nothing about his early training, since Palomino's claim of his birth in Spain was refuted in documents, citing in his will that he was born in Antwerp. Documents are also preserved in which the painter declares his apprenticeship in Flanders, where “he practiced his trade for many years.” For all these reasons he has been related to flamenco artists of the time who, due to personal knowledge or study of their works, had a powerful influence on the configuration of his personal language. We know of his establishment in Spain at least since 1613. His work at court encouraged him to ask for the position of royal painter that Bartolomé González left vacant upon his death in 1627, an objective that he did not achieve. There is no documentary evidence, therefore, to support Palomino's claim when citing him as the king's painter. However, he enjoyed moderate success in the capital of the kingdom, with his works found in numerous noble inventories of the time. At the same time, he enjoyed royal commissions, such as the cycle of biblical stories that he painted for the Buen Retiro palace. His activity, according to his own confession, focused on "architectures, battles and countries", genres in which he was highly valued by his contemporaries. One of the most interesting characteristics of his style is the fact that he frequently dealt with mythological themes that, taken to canvas in different cycles, offer us a singularly majestic panorama of a theme that was not common in the painting of Spain at the time. Another of the outstanding aspects of his work was the proliferation of architectural perspectives with evident links with the Nordic writers, among whom Vredeman de Vries should be especially highlighted. His pictorial style remained anchored in previous traditions, demonstrating an evident modesty and archaism, but the uniqueness of the issues he dealt with make him worthy of memory. Juan de la Corte is represented in the Prado Museum, the Barcelona Maritime Museum, the Cerralbo Museum and the Municipal Museum of Madrid, among others.
· Size: 97 x 122 cm; 116 x 143 cm (marco).
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