Gabriel de la Corte School

School of GABRIEL DE LA CORTE (Madrid, 1648 - 1694).
"Vase".
Oil on canvas glued to board.
It has a frame of the nineteenth century.
Measurements: 66 x 52,5 cm; 82 x 70 cm (frame).
This canvas offers an exuberant floral composition that occupies almost completely the pictorial surface. The bouquet is arranged in a vase decorated in relief with a classical allegory, resting on a table, the whole set is cut on a dark background that intensifies the brightness and colorfulness of the flowers. Tulips, dahlias, daffodils, roses and bluebells are intertwined in stems and leaves of meandering movement, forming dynamic arabesques that break with the compositional rigidity of the previous naturalism.
The work responds to the characteristics of Gabriel de la Corte (Madrid, 1648-1694), a Baroque painter specialized in vases and son, according to the most accepted tradition, of the painter Lucas de la Corte, although his affiliation was discussed by scholars such as Antonio Palomino or Ceán Bermúdez. His life trajectory was marked by economic difficulties and limited recognition during his lifetime, which led him to work at low prices and even to complete other people's paintings by incorporating flowers. However, his style reveals a defined and modern artistic personality.
In contrast to the more restrained balance of Juan de Arellano, whose influence is perceptible in his training, Gabriel de la Corte developed more ornate compositions, with a marked verticality and a certain horror vacui, where freedom of execution and a vigorous touch of brushwork loaded with matter prevail. In this canvas we can appreciate his intuitive technique, based on the paint that allows him to fuse tones and create dense chromatic gradations. Some flowers are worked with fillings that make them stand out in the foreground, while others are resolved by more subtle glazes, generating depth and visual rhythm.
Today, some of his works are in the Prado Museum and other important collections, Gabriel de la Corte is a key figure in the evolution of the Madrid floral still life. This painting, due to its compositional maturity and technical richness, is an eloquent example of his contribution to the Spanish Baroque school, in the transition towards freer and more decorative formulas.