Attributed to Ambrosius Benson and workshop

Attributed to AMBROSIUS BENSON (Lombardy, active in Bruges from 1518 – Bruges, 1550) and workshop.
“Calvary.”
Oil on oak panel. Cradled.
Pigment analysis included.
Export permit available.
Shows signs of restoration.
Measurements: 81.5 x 61 cm; 94.5 x 73 cm (frame).
The aesthetic quality of this devotional panel is evident in the care with which the artist recreates the depiction of Calvary. The Virgin Mary and Saint John flank the dying body of Christ, as is customary in depictions of this biblical passage. The biblical figures remain serene, graceful in their gestures, and idealized in their features, with elongated anatomies that lend subtlety to the body’s forms and endow each character with a powerful presence. The expressiveness is concentrated in the color palette, with the carmine red of the saint’s cloak and the vivid blue of the Virgin’s cloak standing out. But the artist does not merely create the image’s expressiveness through the foreground; he also constructs a landscape with depth, using successive planes to lend the scene a great sense of spatiality. This landscape does not follow the perspective guidelines established by the Italian school but, in an intuitive and meticulous manner, lends authenticity to the scene. Returning to the foreground and the master’s skill, it is worth noting the treatment of the fabrics, where the folds are rendered with meticulous care, as can be seen in the Virgin’s veil, Saint John’s tunic, or Jesus’s cloth of purity. But the work is not merely a technical exercise; the artist goes further by seeking to convey the religious message, which is why one of Christ’s hands is raised in a gesture of blessing.
Ambroisus Benson was one of the so-called “masters of the tradition,” a successor to Van der Goes, and his work reveals the influence of Van Eyck, Van der Weyden, and the Flemish Primitives in general. Nevertheless, his work displays features characteristic of the 16th century, which had come from Italy, such as the triangular composition seen in this painting. In fact, he was originally from Lombardy, which is why more Italian characteristics are sometimes evident in his painting. Particularly notable was his personal use of color, with a predominance of maroon tones set against the whites and light tones of the skin, which are thus strongly emphasized in the composition. Also characteristic of his work is the velvety quality of the cloaks. Benson was a painter of religious subjects and portraits, and he trained with Gerard David in Bruges beginning in 1518, the year he obtained citizenship there. However, he had problems with his master that culminated in a legal proceeding, and by 1519 he was already registered with the Painters’ Guild as an independent master. From the following year onward, there was a clear increase in his activity, and between 1522 and 1530 he rented between one and three stalls at the annual market to sell his paintings. Benson held high offices in the painters’ guild; his works were valued at very high prices; and he had several apprentices, including two of his sons, Willem and Jan. Although only two of his signed works are known (“Triptych of Saint Anthony of Padua” at the Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts in Belgium and “The Holy Family” in a private collection), and seven dated works, more than 150 paintings have been attributed to him based on stylistic criteria. Benson’s workshop was highly productive, and, as was the case with Adriaen Isenbrandt’s, its works were generally intended for the Iberian market. His paintings were highly regarded in Spain, even though Benson never set foot in our country. As for his artistic style, despite his affiliation with tradition, he formed—along with Isenbrandt and Jan Provost—the last generation of Bruges painters characterized by breaking with the Gothic tradition and incorporating the innovations of the Italian Renaissance into their style.