Andalusian or viceroyalty school; second half of the seventeenth century. "The workshop of San José". Oil on canvas.

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OLD MASTERS

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Nov 3, 2021

Set Reminder 2021-11-03 08:00:00 2021-11-03 08:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : OLD MASTERS https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/setdart-auction-house/old-masters-7786
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• Lot Description
  Andalusian or viceroyalty school; second half of the seventeenth century. "The workshop of San José". Oil on canvas. Presents repainting and restorations. Measurements: 90 x 133 cm. This work shows a sacred scene in which St. Joseph, Mary, the Child and some little angels make up an image of the everyday life. In the center of the composition of this work in landscape format, the protagonists of the scene are arranged; St. Joseph and the Child Jesus, located next to a large table. The Child looks with a gesture of admiration to his father, while he shows him a finished object, thus manifesting his role as an educator and as a close father. Next to them, arranged in the same plane and displaced to the right, is the Virgin, who is focused on her sewing work. The attitudes of these three main characters form an intimate, tender and warm image, representing the ideal of family. It is the presence of the angels in the background, and the Holy Spirit, located in the upper right corner, which indicates the religiosity of the scene. Joseph's trade as a carpenter is mentioned in two of the canonical gospels, being this one more developed in an apocryphal gospel. Saint Joseph was an exemplary husband of Mary, a good father and protector of his family. His work activity soon made him the recognized patron saint of carpenters. From the end of the 15th century, the promotion of the putative father of Christ, to whom the mystics also dedicated a fervent devotion, became more and more evident. Until the Counter-Reformation, it was common for the figure of St. Joseph to remain in the background with respect to the Child, since no theological importance was attached to him. However, after the Council of Trent, his protagonist role as protector of Jesus during his infancy, as a guide during his youth, was recovered, and as such he is represented here. In contrast to the tenderness, defenselessness and candor of the infant figure, St. Joseph is presented as the support and sustenance of the Child. Through this form of representation, the author visually enhances the decisive role as protector of the putative father of Jesus. It is worth noting the great aesthetic similarity that was established between the Andalusian school and the painting of the viceroyalties. This was largely due to the preponderant position of Seville as one of the most important ports in the world during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Thanks to the creation of the Casa de Contratación, by the Catholic Monarchs, Seville controlled the voyages, especially those to the new continent. Thus giving rise to a rich cultural exchange.
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