Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1617 In Seville - April 3, 1682 Ibidem) And Atelier Mater Dolorosa

Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1617 in Seville - April 3, 1682 ibidem) and Mater Dolorosa workshop Oil on canvas 105 x 84 cm. Expertise of Prof. Enrique Valdivieso Gonzalez, Seville, of March 2, 2019, who confirmed the authenticity: "...it is a painting that Murillo painted in collaboration with the assistants and students of his studio. It is a prototype of the Virgin of Sorrows which clearly bears the signature of Bartolome Esteban Murillo and who at that time knew how to promote intense devotion in the religious field in Seville". Expertise "Enrique Valdivieso Gonzalez, professor emeritus of art history at the University of Seville, reports a painting on canvas (105 x 84 cm) representing the Dolorosa with the following words: It is a prototype of the Virgin of Sorrows that clearly bears the imprint of Bartolome Esteban Murillo and who, at that time, managed to promote intense devotion in the religious field in Seville. Subsequently, several clients contacted the artist for ask him to make new versions of the same motif, because he liked them very much. As a result, we know of several copies that take up the same theme, including the present work. First of all, it should be pointed out that these are 'a picture which Murillo painted in collaboration with the assistants and pupils of his studio, a fact which is repeated in the other examples transmitted and mentioned above. This fact is evidenced in my recent book on the school of Murillo (Editorial U niversidad de Sevilla, 2018, p. 367), in which is reproduced one of these dolorosas from the Coleccion Particular de Madrid, which has a composition identical to that mentioned above. On the other hand, we must not forget that these dolorosas are almost never painted alone, but are usually accompanied by another canvas on which the Ecce Homo is represented. This prototype perfectly reflects Murillo's ideas on the representation of the Virgin in a trance, in which she contemplates her scourged and flouted son. This contemplation, however, is not imbued with severe drama, but contemplates Jesus with serenity and reflection, without expressing his suffering in an exaggerated way. She therefore appears resigned, her hands joined on her chest, which shows the melancholy that permeates her spirit, and clearly renounces pathos in her lament. Finally, it should be noted that the realization of this type of paintings by the master with his students was something normal and daily for Murillo and that, although it is not all of the master's works, they are of very high quality, which must have delighted and satisfied its large clientele. Seville May 2, 2019 Enrique Valdivieso Gonzalez" Inv. No. 11.503