School of Castile, around 1500 Deposition... Lot 1

School of Castile, around 1500 Deposition of the Cross Altarpiece panel Mixed media painting on conifer panel 122 x 153 cm The panel, consisting of seven boards reinforced on the reverse by three horizontal crosspieces, has retained the vertical gilded and carved wood moldings of the rigine frame. Visible cracks in the panel Pictorial surface: old restorations The scene, dominated by the cross and the ladder around which a flock of angels swirls, takes place in the foreground of a large landscape of hills, lit by a twilight sky. The dead Christ, dressed only in the perizonium, is lying on the ground on a shroud held by Joseph of Rimathea and Saint Magdalene, identifiable thanks to the jar of oil placed on the ground near her. Behind the lifeless body, the Virgin and St. John the Evangelist weep, overwhelmed with grief, while two anguished holy women observe the scene. On the right, standing, we recognize Nicodemus, holding in his right hand the hammer that was used to detach Christ from the cross and, on the left, the penitent Saint Jerome, recognizable by his cardinal's hat placed at his feet. The presence of the latter saint, as well as the large size of this unpublished panel, with the columns of its former frame, indicate that it belongs to an altarpiece destined for the sanctuary of a Hieronymite community, whose hermits of St. Jerome were established mainly in Spain from the middle of the 15th century. The predominant influence of Flemish art, which spread to the kingdom of Castile from this period, thanks to the commercial, political and artistic relations between Flanders and the Iberian Peninsula, is evident in the composition, which is based on Flemish models (Quentin Metsys and his Deposition for the Cathedral of Antwerp in 1511 come to mind), the treatment of the draperies in broken folds, and the marked realism of the expressions. This panel was probably executed in Castile by an anonymous artist with an emotive and familiar style, but still linked to Gothic traditions by the treatment of the punched and flat aureoles. He must have worked in the region of Toledo, judging by the topography of the landscape represented, whose crenellated buildings and the fortified bridge over the river seem to evoke this city. Expert : Mr Alexis Bordes - 06 10 80 64 34 Please note that bids and absentee bids on this lot are subject to conditions. To bid on this lot you must contact the auction house at contact@morlaix-encheres.com or 0033 2 88 08 39. If you did not contact our office before the start of the auction sale. Your bids will not be taken into account.