Attributed to Francisco Salzillo

Attributed to FRANCISCO SALZILLO (Murcia, 1707- 1783).
"Angels before the dead Christ".
Carved and polychrome wood.
Measurements: 48 x 33 x 25 cm; 39 cm (height).
This sculptural group, formed by two mournful angels, constitutes an emotive representation linked to the final episodes of the Passion of Christ. Due to their iconography and disposition, the figures must have originally formed part of a group of greater complexity, probably a Descent from the Cross or a composition of the Virgin of Sorrows or Pietà, where the angels accompanied and mourned the death of Christ, reinforcing the devotional and dramatic character of the scene.
The attitudes of recollection, contained pain and deep expressiveness that characterize these figures refer directly to the models developed by Francisco Salzillo and his workshop. The delicately modeled faces, the softness of the gestures and the elegance of the attitudes find parallels in diverse creations of the Murcian sculptor, especially in the Passionist groups conserved in the Region of Murcia. Particularly significant are the iconographic similarities with the angels that accompany the Virgin in compositions such as the famous Virgen de las Angustias de Yecla, as well as with other examples preserved in the Salzillo Museum.
Francisco Salzillo is considered the most outstanding figure of the Murcian school of sculpture of the 18th century. Trained in the workshop of his father, the Italian sculptor Nicolás Salzillo, he took over the management of the family workshop after his father's death in 1727. Throughout his career he developed an extraordinarily abundant production, achieving a great reputation without leaving Murcia. His work was able to integrate the tradition of Spanish imagery with Mediterranean and Italian influences, incorporating the aesthetic novelties of European Rococo into a deeply popular and devotional language.
Salzillo's sculpture is distinguished by the search for an idealized beauty, the delicacy of the physiognomic features and an intense capacity to transmit emotions. These qualities are especially evident in his angelic figures, conceived as intermediaries between the earthly and divine worlds, and endowed with a remarkable spiritual sensitivity. In this ensemble, the angels actively participate in the sacred drama through an expression of serene pain that invites contemplation and religious empathy.
The quality of the carving and the typology of the figures allow us to relate the work to the circle of Francisco Salzillo, one of the most brilliant moments of Spanish sculpture in the 18th century. Its belonging to a processional or devotional group of larger dimensions also increases its historical and artistic interest, as it constitutes a valuable testimony of the imagery tradition of Murcia.