Andalusian School; XVII century. "St. Joseph... Lot 43

Andalusian School; XVII century. "St. Joseph with Child". Oil on canvas. Re-drawn. It has slight flaws and restorations. Size: 60 x 44,5 cm. The work shows St. Joseph, standing with the Child held and leaning on his lap, in a family scene full of tenderness typical of the Andalusian school. Until the Counter-Reformation, it was common for the figure of St. 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. The work can be related to the Andalusian painting of the mid-seventeenth century, in which there was a great influence of Murillo. Having become the first painter of the city, surpassing in fame even Zurbarán, moved his will to raise the artistic level of local painting. That is why 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 Charles 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.