Since the moment when it was decided that the present work is by Raphael but that the sitter is not Antonio Granvela, art historians have expended considerable efforts on identifying the sitter.The most credible candidates would seem to be Cardinal Bendinello Suardi (painted by Del Piombo,Washington, National Gallery of Art), and even more probably Cardinal Giovanni Alidosi (depicted on a medal an
On August 29, 1626, King Philip IV’s painter, Vicente Carducho (ca. 1576-1638), signed a contract for the creation of a cycle of paintings to celebrate the founding of the Carthusian Order by Saint Bruno and its leading members. This colossal undertaking sought to visually narrate numerous episodes from the Carthusians’ history and tradition. It was the most complete commission ever dedicated to t
The first documentation of Diego Velazquez´s Mars is from 1701-03, when it appeared in the inventory of paintings at the Torre de la Parada, the royal hunting pavilion on the outskirts of Madrid. The painting is cited along with Velázquez´s Aesop c.1638 (P01206) and Menippus 1639-40 (P01207). The three paintings have similar dimensions, and each are as tall as the Heraclitus, Democritus and
This triptych is the principal creation and the work that has given the name to an anonymous follower of Rogier van der Weyden, previously identified as Vrancke van der Stockt. When open the triptych shows the Expulsion from the Garden of Eden, the Crucifixion and the Last Judgment. The left panel shows the Expulsion from Paradise with various scenes alluding to the Creation in the arch´s orders.
This triptych is the principal creation and the work that has given the name to an anonymous follower of Rogier van der Weyden, previously identified as Vrancke van der Stockt. When open the triptych shows the Expulsion from the Garden of Eden, the Crucifixion and the Last Judgment. The front and back of the lateral panels were separated at a recent date and the two scenes can now be seen simultan
Stylistically, this work appears to have been made in the early 1630s -soon after the artist returned from Italy- and most authors date it from around 1632. The Apollonian perfection of the anatomy and the figure`s pale complexion recall the neo-Attic character of Guido Reni`s work, but it must have been Velázquez`s intention to imbue the figure with a divine and ineffable beauty, reflectin
This work is an excellent example of the way in which an interest in the art of Spain´s Golden Age combines in Mariano Fortuny´s paintings with the close study of subjects made from life. Nude Old Man in the Sun reveals Fortuny´s familiarity with the work of Jusepe de Ribera, whose painting Saint Andrew (P1078) he had copied on a previous occasion. And as in that copy and others Fortuny made (such
In this image of Christ embracing the Cross, all of the elements converge to communicate suffering, sacrifice and resignation. In contrast to much visual iconography of the Passion, the Cross is represented as a tree trunk still bearing much of its bark. In the upper portion, the bark has been removed by the strokes of an axe, the traces of which are minutely reproduced. Through the contrast betwe
A poorly dressed blind man stands out against a dark background. With his hands, he touches a sculpted bust on a table that also bears a painting of a face. The work was signed by Jusepe de Ribera in 1632, but even without that signature there would be no doubt as to its authorship, as both its style and its subject matter are typical of his work. The figure is quintessentially Riberesque, as are
The Triptych in the Museo del Prado labeled as Scenes from the Life of Christ is a pivotal work in the story of Valencian painting in the fifteenth century and in the transmission of the style and technique of Jan van Eyck to the Iberian Peninsula. The panel entered the Prado collection in 1931 from the convent of the Encarnación in Valencia, a Carmelite foundation established in 1502. It w
This canvas and its pendant (P7930) must have been part of a series of similar works painted between 1670 and 1680, as indicated by a third piece (Abelló Collection). Together, they bear witness to the artist’s mastery of both real and imaginary floral subjects, and in fact, he was a specialist in this genre, with a distinguished reputation among his colleagues during the second half of the
This canvas and its pendant (P7929) must have been part of a series of similar works painted between 1670 and 1680, as indicated by a third piece (Abelló Collection). Together, they bear witness to the artist’s mastery of both real and imaginary floral subjects, and in fact, he was a specialist in this genre, with a distinguished reputation among his colleagues during the second half of the
This extraordinary historical painting -as appealing as it is disquieting- is one of the first and best examples of the fascination that Joanna of Castile (1479-1555) held for nineteenthcentury Spanish painters. The daughter of the Catholic Monarchs (Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon) and mother of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (King Charles I of Spain), Joanna had an unlucky life. As
Although the style of drawing is characteristic of Bandinelli, the majestic pose indeed echoes figures by Michelangelo on the Sistine ceiling, which he painted in 1508-1512. While the noble head and copious drapery recall the Prophets, the placement of the muscular body is more suggestive of the youthful ignudi.Michelangelo´s work also springs to mind in the handling of the red chalk in the
This is a drawing depicting the Virgin crucified on a cross made of logs. She is clothed and crowned with lights and is in a landscape.The Church of San Miguel (formerly San Justo) kept the image until the church passed into the hands of Opus Dei. It seems to be kept in an annex.The drawing was done in preparation for the print in the Biblioteca Nacional (National Library of Spain). The cartouche
At the top of a flight of stairs leading to an exedra or semi-circular Doric portico, an allegorical female figure, crowned with leaves, clasps the hand of another slightly bowed figure. Behind them, a sculpted Cupid is depicted on a high pedestal. On the lower steps, another allegorical female figure, also crowned, descends with an olive branch in her hand. At her feet, a dog as well as a child h
This beautifully finished drawing depicts Saint Joseph and the Christ Child walking through a landscape. A tree situated to the right appears just behind Saint Joseph. The Christ Child carries a large basket and Saint Joseph, a rod. He holds the child by the wrist, a detail specifically found in various versions of this theme produced by Cantarini, Elsheimer and Sánchez Cotán. It is
The sitter is depicted with a dense head of curly hair, a carefully trimmed beard, thin moustache, and a goatee beard between his mouth and chin. The young man’s elegant hairstyle imitates portraits of the Emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus of 161 A. D. The military cloak indicates that the sitter had recently embarked on a military career.