”SAINT ROCH”. POLYCHROMED AND GILT WOOD SCULPTURE. JUAN DE ANCHIETA WORKSHOP, 16TH CENTURY

“San Roque”. Sculpture in polychrome and upholstered wood. Surroundings of Juan de Anchieta, 16th century. A bearded male figure stands, holding a book and wearing a pilgrim's hat on his back, and is shown showing his right leg and resting his foot on a quadruped with something in its mouth. To his right, a naked child looks towards the saint while touching the saint's leg with his left hand. The image is shown with the angel on his left, the plague wound or bubo on his leg (normally, the one he shows is the other one), the pilgrim's hat and cloak and the dog with the loaf of bread placed under one of his feet in a very unusual way. All these attributes help to identify the image with Saint Roch, an Occitan pilgrim canonised in 1584 who was highly venerated before this date, above all, for being considered a healing saint, especially in cases of pestilence. The influence of the Italian Renaissance can be clearly seen in the sculpture: that of Michelangelo in the corporeality and anatomy of the two figures, the expressiveness of the saint, the composition, etc. These details, together with other peculiarities such as the hair and the proportions, allow us to relate the sculpture to the workshop of Juan de Anchieta (Azpeitia, ca. 1533 - Pamplona, 1588), a sculptor of great importance in 16th century Spanish art with work in northern Castile, Aragon, the Basque Country, Navarre and Burgos, and considered one of the leading figures of Romanism. It is believed that he trained in Italy, hence his stylistic connection with certain works by Jacopo della Quercia and, above all, his inspiration from the works of Michelangelo. The influence of the focus of Valladolid is also clear in his style, where he is documented between 1565 and 1570. Compare, for example, with the altarpiece of the church of San Pedro de Zumaia (Pamplona), finished in 1577, the commissions he carried out for the Cathedral of Burgos between 1576 and 1578 (Coronation of the Virgin and carving of Mary located above the choir lectern), or the main altarpiece of the Parish of Santa María de Tafalla carried out between 1581 and 1583. He set up his workshop in Pamplona, with numerous commissions, and his style was so appreciated that it would influence works carried out in Aragon throughout the first third of the 17th century.

· Size: 16x11x25 cms.