Marcillo de Torres

MARCILLO DE TORRES (Spain, 19th century).
“Leaving the Church After the Baptism.”
Gouache on paper.
Signed in the lower right corner.
The paper shows signs of wear.
Measurements: 85 x 73 cm; 96.5 x 84.5 cm (frame).

In this gouache, Marcillo de Torres, an artist specializing in 19th-century courtly scenes, captures a family’s joyful exit from the church following their son’s baptism. The guests gather around the central figures, while two figures lead the procession, blowing horns and scattering flowers. Marcillo de Torres delights in depicting the setting: a church whose portico is presided over by the Immaculate Conception. The scene, with a distinctly Spanish character, shows a notable influence of 18th-century aesthetics, although the technique is rendered with a distinctly modern perspective.