Segismundo Laire

SEGISMUNDO LAIRE (Munich, 1552–1639).
"Saint Matthew and Saint Mark."
Oil on copper.
We would like to thank Dr. Antonio Vannugli for his invaluable assistance with the cataloging.
Measurements: 23 x 17 cm (x2).
A set of two copper plates depicting the evangelists Saint Matthew and Saint Mark seated among clouds and enveloped in a celestial atmosphere of intense luminosity. Based on both their technical and stylistic characteristics, these paintings can be attributed with considerable certainty to the oeuvre of Segismundo Laire, an artist of Munich origin whose work in Spain was closely linked to the courtly and religious circles of the late 16th and early 17th centuries. A comparison with the apostolic figures preserved on the Eucharistic furnishings and reliquary of the Monastery of the Blessed Sacrament is particularly revealing. In both sets, one can observe the same tendency to place the figures on radiant clouds, a similar monumental conception of the figures, and an identical chromatic sensibility. Furthermore, these paintings show clear affinities with other works attributed to the master, including the Saint Peter housed at the Museum of Fine Arts of Asturias.

Of particular interest is the report published by Germán Ramallo Asensio regarding a copperplate engraving depicting Saint Luke, held in a private collection in Madrid. The author describes it as “a beautiful plate, also made of copper” and raises the possibility that it may have originally belonged to a series depicting the four evangelists. This observation reinforces the hypothesis that the present St. Matthew and St. Mark were part of a larger ensemble, conceived with technical, stylistic, and iconographic unity—a circumstance that fits perfectly within Segismundo Laire’s known body of work.

The evangelists are depicted in monumental poses atop masses of illuminated clouds, surrounded by golden halos that emphasize their sacred status and create a composition with a powerful devotional impact. The choice of copper as the support is particularly significant. This material, highly prized by collectors and patrons during the 16th and 17th centuries, allowed for extraordinary precision in the drawing and a chromatic richness of singular intensity. The metallic surface enhances the brilliance of the pigments, visible in the deep blues, delicate pink tones, and golds that envelop the figures, giving the paintings an almost enamel-like quality characteristic of many works intended for private oratories, reliquaries, and convent settings.One of the most striking aspects is the treatment of the drapery, rendered in broad folds with a pronounced sculptural quality and modeled through strong hallmarks of light. The elegance of the poses, the idealization of the faces, and the delicacy of the skin tones point to models of Central European and Italian origin—elements that characterize the known body of work by Segismundo Laire.