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Diego Jimenez II (Viana, Navarra, 1617 - Cabredo, Navarra, 1660). - Diego Jiménez II (Viana, Navarre, 1617 - Cabredo, Navarre, 1660). The Last Supper Relief in carved, polychrome and gilded wood. 36 x 98.5 x 2.5 cm. This relief was part of the exhibition 'The Mystery of Faith: An Eye on Spanish Sculpture 1550 - 1750' (2009), and is reproduced in the magnificent catalogue published for the occasion (pages 230-233), with texts by Andrea Gates and Patrick Matthiesen. Diego Jimenez II was born and trained in an area in the north of Spain which took over from the school of Romanist sculptors who grew up around the master Juan de Anchieta It was Anchieta who introduced the early Renaissance to Spain and is considered to be the father of one of the most important Schools following Michelangelo in Europe. In this area of rich and enduring sculptural heritage the sculptor of this relief began to work one hundred years later. At the time, important sculpture workshops continued to supply images to the numerous local churches in the towns of Navarre, La Rioja, Alava and the surrounding area. One of these was the Navarrese workshop in Cabredo, founded by Anchieta's pupil, Pedro González de San Pedro (1560-1608), and continued by Juan Bazcardo (Navarre, 1584-1653) and Diego Jiménez II. It was in this workshop, in fact, that he produced this relief. By way of anecdote, it should be noted that the two sculptors were brothers-in-law, as both married daughters of González de San Pedro. This family and artistic relationship, which was not uncommon at the time, gave rise to numerous joint creations such as the altarpieces of La Población de la Barca and Dallo, both in Álava. As we read in the Gates and Matthiesen catalogue mentioned above, 'the shape of this relief suggests that it originally formed part of the predella of an altar'. Jiménez's sculptural quality is evident in the way he distributes the figures around the table, giving the illusion of spaciousness through his handling of depth, despite the limited sculptural space available to him. On the one hand, the relief reflects the Romanesque heritage mentioned above and, on the other, it shows characteristics already typical of the Baroque, such as the naturalism of the piece, the use of individualised features for each character and the treatment of the clothing in angular folds. What is usually a rather solemn, static and dogmatic scene is depicted here as a light-hearted dinner party, with more of a costumbristthan religious nature, as if it were a family or friends' gathering. The figures are arranged in groups, in animated chatter, with a couple talking to each other, some questioning others, one figure looking directly at the viewer, while Jesus caresses the head of his favourite disciple, who is dozing, resting his cheek on his hand. On the other side, Judas Iscariot hides abag of coins in his hand, his payment for betraying Jesus. Reference Bibliography: -Gates,Andrea and Matthiesen, Patrick (2009). 'The Mystery of Faith: An Eye On Spanish Sculpture, 1550-1750'. -Ramírez Martínez,José Manuel (n.d.). 'Diego Jiménez' https://dbe.rah.es/biografias/57000/diego-jimenez

Estim. 15,000 - 20,000 EUR