Francisco Gutiérrez Cabello

FRANCISCO GUTIÉRREZ CABELLO (Madrid, h. 1616-h. 1670).
"Moses rescued from the waters".
Oil on canvas. Relined.
It has slight damage caused by the passage of time.
Measurements: 169 x 166 cm; 189 x 187 cm (frame).
This painting attributed to Francisco Gutiérrez Cabello (Madrid, h. 1616-h. 1670) is inscribed within the baroque tradition of the architectural fantasies, a genre that intertwines imaginary elements with real references in an exercise of visual erudition and technical virtuosity. The scene transports us to a palatial city of Italian inspiration, monumental and theatrical, articulated around a canal reminiscent of Venice, flanked by majestic structures. In the foreground, human activity is intense: elegant figures, musicians, merchants, nobles, soldiers and workers participate in a daily choreography that reinforces the lively and cosmopolitan character of the whole. The architectural monumentality, however, does not overwhelm; rather, it frames the action and offers a hierarchical reading of space, typical of baroque urban thinking.
One of the most notable features of this composition is found in the second plane. There we can observe, with delicate detail and scenographic setting, the representation of the biblical episode of Moses' rescue from the waters. This insertion of a religious motif within an apparently secular and fantastic scene is a constant in the work of Gutiérrez Cabello, who liked to introduce biblical or allegorical themes subtly integrated into urban landscapes or imaginary architectures. An example of this is the painting of the artist that is in the Museum of Fine Arts of Bilbao entitled "Capricho arquitectónico con Moises salvado de las aguas" (Architectural whim with Moses saved from the waters) and made around 1670. In fact the representation of Moses will be a recurrent fact in his painting, since as Enrique Valdivieso wrote in "Francisco Gutiérrez, a dreamer of fantastic architectures", there is another work of the same theme, dated 1653 and in a private collection in London and another in the Royal Palace of Madrid.
The technical quality of the painting is outstanding. The mastery of linear and aerial perspective, the richness of the coloring, particularly in the reds, golds and blues of the facades and the meticulous treatment of the sculptural and textile details, demonstrate the hand of an artist of solid training. The light is distributed in a theatrical way, marking hallmarks that highlight architectural volumes and guide the eye towards the narrative focuses of the work. Despite the apparent decorative excess, each element fulfills a structural function within the overall image, which is organized with a rigorous internal logic.
Francisco Gutiérrez Cabello was a painter active in Madrid during the second third of the 17th century, a period dominated by the splendor of the Austrian court and the influence of masters such as Velázquez and Claudio de Lorena. Gutiérrez Cabello cultivated a singular style that distinguishes him within the artistic panorama of Madrid, especially for his inclination towards complex architectural compositions and scenes populated with characters that mix the everyday with the allegorical. His work, although less studied, is part of a visual tradition that combines the Italian taste for idealized veduta with a Hispanic sensibility for the symbolic and the narrative.