Knight with an Altar Candle in his Hand
1779. White chalk, Red chalk on grey paper.Not on display
This is a preparatory drawing for the figure in the central register of the fresco Transfer of the Remains of Saint Eugene in the cloister of Toledo Cathedral. The figure is depicted frontally, dressed according to 16th-century fashion. Facing forwards, he appears to have a mouche on his chin. This is a fashion style that did not yet exist in the time of Philip II, King of Spain, and that probably corresponds to what in the 18th century was called the old Spanish style. This fashion corresponds to a greater extent with the reign of Philip III, King of Spain. Three preparatory sketches for the fresco are extant: one in Toledo Cathedral, another in the Ena Collection in Zaragoza and a third in a private collection in Madrid. The Museo del Prado keeps several related drawings.
Arnáez, Rocío, Catálogo de Dibujos II. Dibujos españoles siglo XVIII. A-B, Madrid, 1975, p.66-67
