Attributed to Gabriel Yoly

Spanish school of the sixteenth century. Attributed to GABRIEL YOLY (Noyon ? - Teruel, 1538).
"Virgin and Child.
Wood carving.
Measurements: 116 x 66 x 38 cm.
Devotional sculpture carved in oak wood, free of polychrome, representing the Virgin Mary holding the Child in her lap. The Child, whose arms are not preserved (probably they were blessing and holding a sphere, symbol of the universality of Christian doctrine and the redemptive act of Christ), appears dressed in a tunic of soft folds, like the Virgin.
Because of its technical characteristics, already mentioned, the work is related to the work of the French sculptor Gabriel Yoly. Despite the scarcity of biographical information about this sculptor, it is known that since 1515 he lived in Spain, in places such as Zaragoza and Teruel, where his tomb is located. In 1520 he began to work with Gil de Morlanes, participating then in the realization of the altarpiece of San Miguel in the Cathedral of Jaca. However, in spite of having large commissions, it was after Damian Forment's departure to Catalonia, when his artistic works multiplied. Thus achieving great recognition and a good reputation as a sculptor. His artistic production was characterized by an aesthetic tradition based on the French-Gothic tradition, with influences of the Florentine school, as well as the Spanish, where analogies can be seen with the work of Damian Forment and Alonso Berruguete, such as the altarpiece of Roda de Isábena. It is also worth mentioning his artistic legacy, since the work of Gabriel Yoly had a great influence on the sculptural manifestations of the area and his aesthetic was consolidated through apprentices such as Bernardo Pérez, Juan Vizcaíno and, above all, Cosme Damián Bas, whose works were often attributed to his master Yoly.