Workshop of Alejo Fernández

Traditionally believed to originate in Alcalá La Real, Jaén;
Manuel González collection, Madrid.

Madrid, Centro Cultural Conde Duque, La Navidad en el Arte, 14 December 1989 – 14 January 1990, no. 1.

C. Juan Lovera, 'La Pintura del Siglo XVI en Alcalá', in Boletín de Estudios Giennenses, 1978, XXIV, pp. 63-64, reproduced fig. 12;
C. Juan Lovera, 'Un trabajo sobre pintura antigua', in Diario de Jaén, 7 October 1987;
J. Gallego, 'La Navidad en el Arte', in Diario ABC de las Artes, 21 December 1989, p. 127.

The panel is flat and is stablized by a wooden backing. An area of chipped paint lower left edge and a line of repaired damage running vertically down to the left of the centre was probably caused by earlier movement in the panel. There is another repaired vertical split, much finer, nearer the right hand edge. The paint surface is thick, and in some areas uneven, probably due to movement in the panel before it was stabilized. Inspection under UV light shows larger areas of repair along the upper edge and specks of repair to the left of the archway. There is a slim shaft of retouching extending upwards from the lower left corner, a nuymber of small retouchings in the Virgin's face and in her hair, in the angel's face, his clothing, and to the vase on the floor. The repairs in the faces have somewhat discoloured.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Combining the dulcet tones distinctive of 16th-century Seville with the attention to drapery and detail brought to Spain from the Low Countries, this is a typical example of devotional art from that time. The Virgin’s face, hands and the fall of her drapery are almost identical to the Assumption fragment attributed to Fernández, formerly in the Gimpel Collection, Paris.¹

The compromised condition of this panel renders an attribution to Alejo Fernandez somewhat problematic but his authorship, rather than that of his studio, should not be discounted.

1. See C.F. Post, A History of Spanish Painting: The Early Renaissance in Andalusia, vol. X, New York 1970, p. 92, reproduced fig. 26.