Granada School; Circle of Pablo Rojas

Granada School, circle of PABLO DE ROJAS (Alcalá la Real, 1549 - Jaén, 1611).
"Purisima Concepción".
Carved and polychrome wood.
It has a crown of later period.
Measurements: 139 x 36 x 24 cm.
Round sculpture representing the Immaculate Conception, conceived as an image of strong devotional presence. The figure of the Virgin rises with marked verticality and a soft undulating disposition that defines its silhouette, articulated by means of a rhythm of wide and enveloping folds that contribute monumentality and elegance to the whole. The quality of the carving is especially appreciated in the face, with delicate features and serene expression, which conveys an idealization of great sweetness in accordance with the pure and immaculate character of the subject. The work is part of the tradition of Spanish Baroque sculpture of the 17th century, in which the iconography of the Immaculate Conception reached a special relevance. This theme became one of the main hallmarks of Hispanic art, closely related to the doctrinal defense of the conceptionist mystery by the monarchy and the Church.
The piece can be related to the work of Pablo de Rojas, an artist who marked the passage to a new era and the emergence of the great Andalusian imagery during the 17th century. He was the son of a painter from Sardinia, although he settled in Alcalá la Real. In 1579 he moved to the city of Granada, at that time in artistic boom, receiving the teaching of Rodrigo Moreno and becoming the teacher of Juan Martínez Montañés. Among his outstanding works is his intervention in the altarpiece of the Monastery of San Jerónimo in Granada, where crucifixes predominate. His work is characterized by the evolution of his style to a briskness and dynamism of a completely baroque character, as can be seen in the carving presented here. Spanish Baroque sculpture is one of the most genuine languages of European art, deeply linked to the ideals of the Counter-Reformation. Promoted by parishes, convents and confraternities, and sometimes financed by popular subscription, its purpose was to arouse devotion through images that were close and emotionally effective. In this sense, the present Inmaculada fully responds to these principles, combining iconographic clarity, idealized beauty and a spiritual content that favors the identification of the faithful.