Attributed to FRANCISCO HERRERA "El mozo" (Seville, 1627- Madrid, 1685). "The birth of the Virgin. Presents faults in the frame, and period frame.

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Jul 14, 2021

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• Lot Description
  Attributed to FRANCISCO HERRERA "El mozo" (Seville, 1627- Madrid, 1685). "The birth of the Virgin. Presents faults in the frame, and period frame. Measures: 57 x 43 cm; 79 x 64 x 7 cm (frame). Under a break of glory starring the figure of God holding the city and pointing to the figure of the Immaculate Conception, a scene of earthly character develops. It shows a woman lying on a luxurious bed, holding a baby in her arms. Next to the bed an adult man, elegantly dressed, approaches the bed with a magnanimous gesture. The figures can be identified with St. Joachim, the Virgin and Mary. The theme of the Nativity of Mary was frequently represented in art, as part of the cycles of the Life of the Virgin. These depictions, both medieval and later, are often valuable documents that provide information about the domestic interiors and customs of their time. The cycle of the Life of the Virgin spread during the Middle Ages, basing its iconography on the Gospels and, above all, on the apocrypha collected in the "Golden Legend" of Santiago de la Voragine. Anne and Joachim, Mary's parents, had been married for many years without conceiving children. In order for her conception to be immaculate, that is, without the lust of original sin, it took place when the spouses embraced at the Golden Gate of Jerusalem. According to the text, this is how St. Anne became pregnant and, nine months later, gave birth to the Virgin Mary. The birth of Mary is traditionally depicted as we see it here, as a genre scene set in an interior of the period. In the absence of details concerning the Virgin Birth in the Bible, art has turned to the Apocryphal Gospels for inspiration. The Protoevangelium of James provides the names of her parents (Joachim and Anne), and tells that she, barren, withdrew to fast in the desert for 40 days, and an angel appears to her, who then communicates the news to her husband. Similar stories are found in other texts: the Gospel of the Nativity of Mary, the Armenian Gospel of the Infancy, etc. Due to its aesthetics, the work is related to the artistic production of Francisco Herrea, "El mozo" (Seville, 1627- Madrid, 1685), son of Francisco Herrera el viejo, "El mozo", began his artistic training under the guidance of his father, although he finally continued his studies in Rome. At first he dedicated himself to architecture, although he soon began to work with the fresco technique. In 1656 he returned to Seville, and four years later, in 1660, together with other painters such as Murillo, Valdes Leál and Camprobín, he founded the drawing academy of Seville, of which he was the deputy director. A year later he moved to Madrid where he worked on the Frescoes of San Felipe el Real. It was in this project, with which he caught the attention of Philip IV, who hired him to paint the dome of the chapel of Our Lady of Atocha and also appointed him court painter and superintendent of the royal buildings. Later, with the appointment of Charles II, he continued to form part of the court, and was appointed master of the royal works. His work is characterized by specialization in the still life genre, although he was also an appreciated portraitist, without reaching the success of his father. However, due to his dynamic and colorful works, where a light and versatile brush movement stands out, he became a master of the Baroque, fundamental in the development of Madrid painting in the last third of the 17th century.
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