Attributed to Domingo Martínez

Attributed to DOMINGO MARTÍNEZ (Seville, 1688 - 1749).
"Christ on the way to Calvary".
Oil on canvas. Relined.
Measurements: 37 x 58 cm.
This painting represents one of the most moving episodes of the Passion of Christ: the moment in which Jesus, carrying the cross, goes to Calvary for his crucifixion. The scene, of profound devotional content, concentrates attention on the figure of Christ, emphasizing the physical suffering and spiritual resignation that characterize this Gospel passage.
Due to its stylistic and formal characteristics, the work can be related to the artistic environment of Domingo Martínez, one of the main representatives of the Sevillian school of the first half of the 18th century. Although the quality and pictorial resources suggest the intervention of a follower or member of his circle, the canvas clearly reflects the compositional and expressive models developed by the Sevillian master, especially in the narrative sensibility, the gentle treatment of the figures and the aesthetic heritage coming from the Murillo tradition.
Trained in Seville under the influence of Lucas Valdés, Domingo Martínez achieved notable prestige during his time. His activity was closely linked to important religious institutions in the Andalusian capital and to prominent ecclesiastical patrons, among them the archbishop of Seville. During the stay of Philip V's court in Seville between 1729 and 1733, the painter came into contact with French artists in the service of the monarch, such as Jean Ranc and Louis-Michel van Loo, whose stylistic contributions enriched his pictorial language without departing from the Sevillian tradition inherited from Murillo.
Martinez's production was mainly focused on religious themes, highlighting the decorative cycles made for the College of San Telmo, the Convent of Santa Paula and various Sevillian churches. His workshop enjoyed a great reputation and trained numerous disciples, among them Juan de Espinal, who would eventually become the heir to his workshop. The wide diffusion of his models explains the existence of numerous works executed by followers and collaborators, among which this interesting canvas can be placed.