Spanish school; second third of the XVI century.

Spanish school; second third of the 16th century.
"Christ, St. John the Evangelist and St. John the Baptist".
Oil on panel.
Presents restorations.
Measurements: 74 x 76 cm.
The painting shows a group of three figures arranged in the foreground, framed by a background of green and cloudy tones that suggests an atmospheric space but not deeply perspective. In the center, Christ is represented as a young man with a serene, melancholic face, wearing a light tunic and an ochre cloak that falls softly over his right shoulder. His expression is one of recollection and his gaze, slightly lowered, conveys a sense of meditative compassion.
To his left (to the viewer's right) is Saint John the Evangelist, identified by the chalice with the serpent he holds in his hand, symbol of his victory over the poison. His grayish hair, his smooth-lined face and the slight inclination of his body toward Christ present him as a reflective figure, a witness to the divine. To the right of Christ (left of the viewer), St. John the Baptist points with his index finger to a lamb resting on an open book, a clear allusion to the Agnus Dei and Christ's mission as Redeemer. His gesture is energetic and his expression intense, generating a contrast with the calm of the other two figures.
The coloring is warm, dominated by ochers, earths and greens, and the chiaroscuro is treated with softness, without the strong baroque hallmarks of later centuries. The flesh tones are matte, almost sculptural, and the folds of the canvases are represented with a linear modeling that emphasizes the volume without losing the clarity of the outline. The triangular composition is stable and reflects the heritage of the Renaissance, with a certain hieratism that recalls the Italian formulas adapted by Spanish painting in the mid-sixteenth century.
The work is a representative example of the transition of Hispanic painting between late Gothic and the full Renaissance. The Spanish school of this period is characterized by the gradual assimilation of Italian innovations (especially Raphael and Leonardo) and Nordic detail, resulting in a style of great compositional clarity, chromatic sobriety and strong spiritual charge. The brushstroke is restrained, the underlying drawing is clear and defines the forms with precision, showing the importance that Spanish painters gave to design (disegno) as the foundation of painting.