A follower of Gregorio Fernández; 16th–17th centuries

A follower of GREGORIO FERNÁNDEZ (Lugo, 1576 – Valladolid, 1636).
“Reclining Christ.”
Polychrome clay.
Shows signs of wear.
Measurements: 22 x 7 x 8 cm.
The piece is executed in a style clearly rooted in the Spanish artistic tradition. Notable is the sculptural treatment of the head and the arm, which hang limply, reflecting the weight of the body that has breathed its last and lies dead. The piece is carved solely from the front, indicating that it was conceived as part of a larger ensemble, so that the viewer could see it only from this perspective. Technically, the artist achieved a high level of detail and great expressiveness by capturing every fold of the cloth, which he drapes in a highly expressive manner and leaves open across the chest, revealing the wound inflicted by the spear during the crucifixion. The work follows the aesthetic models of the “Recumbent Christ of El Pardo,” created by Gregorio Fernández.
Fernández was the leading exponent of the Castilian school of the early Baroque period, an heir to the expressiveness of Alonso Berruguete and Juan de Juni and open to the classicist influences of Pompeyo Leoni and Juan de Arfe, which he drew upon to move beyond the Mannerism of his early training and become a fully Baroque sculptor. Although little biographical information is known about the master, his body of work—created for numerous Castilian churches and religious brotherhoods—is well documented. He was a highly representative artist of his era, embodying the dramatic spirituality of 17th-century Spain, reflected in his deeply poignant processional floats—his favorite subject—since they depicted scenes from the Passion and allowed him to convey precisely this intense drama. He was a unique artist who always maintained his individuality; in fact, he defined one of the great sculptural schools of the Spanish Baroque, in contrast to the Andalusian school of Martínez Montañés, which was more classical and harmonious. In contrast, Fernández was a product of Philip II’s Counter-Reformation culture and, as such, sought a religious image that was as didactic as possible, far removed from the purely aesthetic approaches that drove the Sevillian master. Gregorio Fernández had a large workshop that took on commissions primarily from Valladolid, León, and Madrid, but also from the Basque Country and Extremadura, where numerous sculptors were trained and a true school of followers was established. According to Palomino’s account in the 18th century, Fernández was a pious man—even bordering on sainthood—who, before beginning work, would prostrate himself in deep prayer and who fasted, performed penances, and maintained a constant dialogue with God, a life in keeping with the profound mysticism that dominated Spanish religiosity in the 17th century, and which speaks to a sense of commitment to the faith in the creation of his works.