Workshop of BARTOLOME ESTABAN MURILLO (Seville, 1617 - 1682). "Saint Joseph with the Child". Oil on canvas. Presents restorations.

About Auction

Live

OLD MASTERS & SCULPTURE - Day 2

By Setdart Auction House

Jun 1, 2021

Set Reminder 2021-06-01 09:45:00 2021-06-01 09:45:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : OLD MASTERS & SCULPTURE - Day 2 https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/setdart-auction-house/old-masters-sculpture---day-2-6999
Setdart Auction House sofia@setdart.com

View Full Catalog (71)

• Lot Description
  Workshop of BARTOLOME ESTABAN MURILLO (Seville, 1617 - 1682). "Saint Joseph with the Child". Oil on canvas. Presents restorations. Measures: 167 x 104 cm. The work has similarities with the painting of the same theme "St. Joseph with the Child", attributed to Murillo's workshop, which is in the Lazaro Galdiano Museum in Madrid, although in this case the figure of St. Joseph can be seen standing, and not only his bust. Both pieces show St. Joseph, identified by the flowered rod, with the Child on his lap, in a family scene full of tenderness. An image that was much repeated by the master Murillo, who managed to create a personal aesthetic pattern, of great influence and iconographic relevance. These characteristics led to the assimilation by other painters of this Murillo aesthetic. Which is seen in most of the disciples of the master, highlighting the work of St. Joseph and Child, Meneses Osorio (Seville, c. 1640 - 1721), which is in the Museum of Fine Arts in Seville, which has great similarities with the piece here. Until the Counter-Reformation, it was common for the figure of Saint Joseph to remain in the background, since he was not given any theological importance. However, after Trent, his protagonist role as Jesus' protector during his childhood, 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 a monumental character, typically baroque, an impression that is reinforced by the pyramidal composition. Through this form of representation, the author visually enhances the decisive role as protector of the putative father of Jesus. Little is known about Murillo's childhood and youth, except that he was orphaned of his father in 1627 and of his mother in 1628, for which reason he was taken under the tutelage of his brother-in-law. Around 1635 he must have begun his apprenticeship as a painter, very possibly with Juan del Castillo, who was married to a cousin of his. This working and artistic relationship would last about six years, as was customary at the time. After his marriage, in 1645, he began what was to be a brilliant career that progressively made him the most famous and sought-after painter in Seville. The only recorded trip he made is documented in 1658, the year in which Murillo was in Madrid for several months. It may be thought that at the court he maintained contact with the painters who resided there, such as Velázquez, Zurbarán and Cano, and that he had access to the collection of paintings in the Royal Palace, a magnificent subject of study for all those artists who passed through the court. Despite the few documentary references regarding his mature years, we know that he enjoyed a comfortable life, which allowed him to maintain a high standard of living and several apprentices. Having become the first painter of the city, surpassing in fame even Zurbarán, moved his will to raise the artistic level of local painting. For this reason, in 1660 he decided, together with Francisco Herrera el Mozo, to found an academy of painting, of which he was the main promoter. His fame spread to such an extent, throughout the national territory, that Palomino indicates that around 1670 King Carlos II offered him the possibility of moving to Madrid to work there as a court painter. We do not know if this reference is true, but the fact is that Murillo remained in Seville until the end of his life. His works are currently preserved in the most important art galleries in the world, such as the Prado Museum, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, the Kunsthistorisches in Vienna, the Louvre in Paris, the Metropolitan in New York or the National Gallery in London, among many others.
• Shipping Info

  • In-house shipping available. Please inquire at admin@setdart.com.

• Buyer's Premium
  • 22.00 %