Circle of FRANCISCO BAYEU (Saragossa, 1734 - Madrid,... Lot 19

Circle of FRANCISCO BAYEU (Saragossa, 1734 - Madrid, 1795); Last third of the 18th century. "Immaculate Conception". Oil on canvas. Re-drawn. It presents restorations on the pictorial surface. Measurements: 150 x 110 cm. The present work shows an Immaculate Conception, dressed in white and blue, on clouds with the lunar sphere at her feet, and surrounded by numerous angels and angels' heads. The work has a purely 18th-century style that maintains the theatricality of the Baroque, as can be seen in the fluid composition created by the lightness with which all the elements in the lower part of the painting are presented, although it is true that in terms of the use of tones the artist shows the warmth of kinder colours. The scene is dominated by the gold that serves as the sky and the break of Glory, but also by the pastel blues and pinks so characteristic of the period. The definitive iconographic image of the Immaculate Conception took shape in the 16th century, apparently in Spain. Following a Valencian tradition, the Jesuit Father Alberro had a vision and described it to the painter Juan de Juanes so that he could depict it as faithfully as possible. It is an evolved iconographic concept, which is sometimes associated with the theme of the Coronation of the Virgin. Due to its formal and technical characteristics, we can relate this work to the circle of Francisco Bayeu. A member of a notable family of artists and brother of the painters Ramón and Manuel, Francisco Bayeu was also Francisco de Goya's brother-in-law. He began his training in his native Saragossa, attending the workshop of Juan Andrés Merklein, a painter of Bohemian origin, and the drawing classes of José Luzán Martínez. In 1756 he was awarded the Extraordinary Prize at the San Fernando Academy, which earned him a scholarship in 1758 to study for two years at the San Fernando Academy in Madrid. However, Bayeu left the academy only two months later because of his disagreements with one of the professors, Antonio González Velázquez. He then returned to Saragossa and his financial situation became complicated, as the death of his parents forced him to take charge of his family. He then began his career as a painter, carrying out commissions for churches and convents in the city. Around this time, in 1759, he married Sebastiana Merklein, the daughter of his master. During these years he developed the language of his youth, influenced by Lucas Jordán and Corrado Giaquinto. However, in 1762 Anton Raphael Mengs, the leading court painter, visited Saragossa and asked him to work with him on the decoration of the new Royal Palace. Thanks to Mengs's protection, Bayeu carried out various decorative commissions for the Royal Sites, thus establishing himself as one of the most outstanding painters of the day. These early works for the court included the fresco decoration of the vaults of the dining room in the queen's bedroom ("The Surrender of Granada") and the antechamber of the Princes of Asturias ("The Fall of the Giants"). His Baroque training is still evident in these works, but elements of his mature language can already be glimpsed, such as the elegance of the positions, the meticulousness, the neoclassical lighting effects and the perfect anatomical study. By the 1760s his neoclassical aesthetic was fully developed, marked by a clean, precise drawing and a palette that played on the contrast of reds and yellows against a tonality based on blues and greys.