Sevillian school; second third of the 18th century. "Portrait... Lot 23

Sevillian school; second third of the 18th century. "Portrait of the canon of Seville Cathedral, Don Nicolás Antonio de Cominco". Oil on canvas. Re-drawn. It presents repainting. Measurements: 105 x 83,5 cm. Portrait in which the religious Nicolás Antonio de Cominco can be appreciated, which is accompanied by a border that indicates his name and his position, as well as the family coat of arms that justifies his lineage. The priest is in a dark interior, which opens up on the right, revealing the architecture of the interior of a church. This type of portrait, known as verae effigues, was very popular at the time in Latin America, especially after the colonisation of America. These portraits were made with the intention of showing those characters worthy of being venerated. Therefore, the portraits were usually made not only during the life of the protagonist, but also post mortem. The intention of these works was to move the public, to encourage pious acts and at the same time to perpetuate the memory of a figure of sainthood, thus creating a whole historical tradition. It is worth noting that this genre of "verae effigie" did not always follow the literal title, as on many occasions the portraits of these religious figures did not reflect their personal features, but rather the artist composed the scene according to the commission received.