CIRCLE OF JUAN DE ANCHIETA (1462-1523)SPANISH, 16TH CENTURY | Christ at the Column

Overall the condition of the sculpture is good. There dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. The sculpture is made in sections and the original joints are visible including at the proper left leg, at the proper left hand, at the proper right arm and throughout the column. Some joints restored. The sculpture appears to have retained its compositional integrity. However, much of the paint appears to be later. They appear to be different paint layers in particular at the flesh tones. There are various minor losses to the paint throughout and the paint has been refreshed in many of these areas. The paint at the column appears to be relatively recent. There is minor stable splitting to the wood consistent with the material, in particular at the chest and legs. There are several probably old holes, including four larger holes in the base and three in the column. There are a few further holes. There is minor non-active worming to wood in particular around the bottom of the column.
"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."

The Spanish mannerist sculptor Juan de Anchieta, often hailed as one of the most important promoters of Roman Mannerism, or Romanism, in Spain, was active throughout Northern Spain from 1551 until his death in 1588. He contributed to and produced a number of important altars for parish churches and cathedrals, of which some survive in their original settings, including reliefs on the altarpiece of the Church of Santa Clara in Briviesca and the church of El Salvador in Simancas, which has only in recent years been attributed to the sculptor (op. cit. pp. 90-95). Originally from the Basque country, Juan de Anchieta travelled to Valladolid in 1551 to be apprenticed as a sculptor. While in Valladolid, he familiarised himself with works by lauded Spanish Renaissance sculptors Alonso Berruguete and Juan de Juni. Having completed his apprenticeship in 1557, Juan de Anchieta was immediately hired by Gaspar Becerra to work as an assistant on the altarpiece of the Cathedral of Astorga. Becerra, who had just returned from a ten year tenure in Rome, was perhaps of most decisive influence on Anchieta’s artistic style. Having returned from Rome, where Becerra worked with Giorgio Vasari, and was influenced by the work of Michelangelo, his collaboration with Anchieta on the altarpiece in Astorga shows clearly the first establishments of a Spanish Romanism, where the characteristics associated with the Mannerism of the Italian school were translated to a distinctly Spanish interpretation in wood. The opulent, heavy folds of drapery, frowning, square faces, impressively muscled bodies and complicated poses are all Michelangelesque features which first appeared in this collaborative work, and to which Juan de Anchieta would return repeatedly over his career, which would take him across the entirety of Northern Spain.

The present, impressive statue of the Bound Christ, is imbued with Mannerist innovations which Anchieta brought to Northern Spain. Compare with Anchieta's St Jerome, as well as the Corpus from the Retablo mayor de Simancas for the elongated muscular torso (Vassallo, op. cit., figs. 10 and 212).

RELATED LITERATURE
L. Vasallo Toranzo, Juan de Anchieta: Aprendiz y oficial de escultura en Castilla (1551 – 1571), Valladolid, 2012, figs. 10 and 212