Attributed to Juan Alonso de Villabrille y Ron

Attributed to JUAN ALONSO DE VILLABRILLE Y RON (Argul, Asturias, ca. 1663–Madrid, 1732)
Pair of sculptures of “Saint Joachim and Saint Anne.”
Carved and polychromed wood.
They retain their original polychrome paint.
They show slight wear and minor losses of polychrome.
Measurements: 51 and 48 cm in height.

The expressive intensity of the faces and the elaborate rendering of the garments place this pair within the context of early 18th-century Baroque sculpture from Madrid. Saint Joachim is depicted as a mature, bearded man holding a book, while Saint Anne is portrayed as an elderly woman with pronounced features, covered by a headdress and cloak. The contrast in age and temperament gives each figure a distinct individuality, while their open gestures allow them to be understood as complementary images, likely conceived to be part of a group dedicated to the genealogy of the Virgin.

The carvings combine a naturalistic rendering of the hands and facial features with a more emphatic treatment of the garments. The cloaks are arranged in broad, deep folds that envelop the figures and heighten the hallmarks of light, particularly in the intense red of Saint Joachim and the green and brown tones of Saint Anne.

The attribution to Villabrille y Ron is consistent with the physiognomic realism, the psychological depth of the faces, and the expansiveness of the drapery that characterize his work. These qualities can also be observed in sculptures institutionally linked to the master, such as Saint Rita of Cascia, housed in the National Museum of Sculpture, or the monumental Saint Mark in the Museum of History in Madrid.

Juan Alonso de Villabrille y Ron was one of the most prominent sculptors active at the Madrid court during the first third of the 18th century and the teacher of Luis Salvador Carmona. His famous Head of Saint Paul, signed and dated in Madrid in 1707, stands as one of the pinnacles of Spanish Baroque realism. The National Museum of Sculpture houses several works linked to his oeuvre, while the Museum of History in Madrid holds representative examples of Madrid Baroque sculpture associated with his name.