Spanish school; second half of the 17th century.

Spanish school; second half of the seventeenth century.
"Set of religious scenes".
Oil on panel mounted on doors. 38 boards.
The doors on which are mounted the boards painted in the seventeenth century, are from a later period (twentieth century).
Measurements: 226 x 53 x 6.5 cm (x2).

These two wooden doors from the 20th century, belonging to the Spanish School on which are mounted panels dating from the second half of the 17th century, are an exceptional example of the fusion between architectural functionality and religious devotion, typical of a profoundly baroque sensibility. Consisting of a total of 38 pictorial scenes meticulously arranged in rectangular compartments, these pieces not only fulfilled a structural role in a sacred or domestic space, but also operated as narrative supports for the spiritual meditation and visual instruction of the faithful.
The doors present a symmetrical and sober design in their structure, executed in warm-toned wood, probably pine or cedar, with moldings that precisely frame each of the scenes. The composition is organized in horizontal registers, each of which contains small oil paintings depicting episodes from the Old and New Testament, as well as hagiographic scenes. These images, rich in detail and executed with remarkable technical virtuosity, display a complex iconography that ranges from moments in the life of Christ and the Virgin to depictions of saints, martyrs and miracles.
The workmanship of these doors reveals the hand of one or more workshops specialized in small-format devotional painting, possibly active in the surroundings of a church, convent or noble residence.