Attributed to Luis Salvador Carmona

Attributed to LUIS SALVADOR CARMONA (Valladolid, 1708 - Madrid, 1767).
"Virgin of the Rosary.
Polychrome wood carving.
Provenance: Guerin Collection.
It presents losses of paint in the flesh tones.
Measurements: 96 x 40 x 39 cm.

This sculpture fits with full coherence in the mature production of Carmona, the great renovator of the Spanish 18th century imagery, capable of fusing the Castilian tradition with the courtly elegance of the Bourbon Rococo. The Virgin presents the oval face characteristic of the master -soft cheeks, rounded chin and small mouth- and an expression of serene sweetness that replaces the baroque pathos with a refined grace. The mantle, with a nervous and dynamic flight, creates diagonals and depths that animate the silhouette, while the gilded stew meticulously reproduces the courtly brocades, underlining the sumptuous character of the work.

The model is closely related to the image preserved in the church of Nuestra Señora del Rosario de La Granja de San Ildefonso (ca. 1758), a documented work by Carmona, especially in the gentle inclination of the head, the upright composition with a slight contrapposto, the melancholic and sweet expression of the face, the anatomical delicacy of the Child and the elegant movement of the mantle. These features, together with the quality of the carving and the careful execution of the flesh tones, allow us to place the work within the immediate circle or under the direct influence of the sculptor in his stage of maturity.

Works by Carmona are preserved today in fundamental institutions such as the Royal Palace, the Prado Museum and the National Museum of Sculpture in Valladolid, which underlines the importance of this piece within his production.