Communication for the purpose of cultural promotion of artists included in the María Cristina Masaveu Peterson Foundation Collection protected by intellectual property rights. Reproduction, in whole or in part, or processing by any means, or transmission or transfer in any form, without the authorisation of the owner of the rights to the works, is prohibited.
The Holy Family with Archangels
FICHA TÉCNICA
Author: Domingo Martínez (Sevilla, 1688-1749)
Title: The Holy Family with Archangels, by Domingo Martínez
Year: First third of the 18th century
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 171 x 110 cm
This large-format canvas, with no signature or date, was probably conceived as an altar painting. It represents the Holy Family with the archangels Saint Michael and Saint Gabriel according to an iconography inspired by the book Mystical City of God, written by the nun Mary of Jesus of Ágreda and published in 1670, which describes how the Infant Jesus descended from heaven borne aloft by the two archangels. Seated on a brick manger and protected by his mother’s body, the Infant occupies the centre of the composition. A cherub kisses one of his feet while, behind the group, Saint Joseph holds a prayer book flanked by the two archangels. The Infant has holds up a cross and rests his left arm on a basket with some of the instruments of the Passion. At the foot of the manger, the snake with the apple completes the iconography of Christ as the redeemer of humanity.
Like other works by the artist, this canvas is characterised by virtuoso draughtsmanship and a strong palette. Together with the light, focused on the main group in contrast to the darker area around them, and the compositional elegance, these elements emphasise the pleasant nature of the composition in keeping with the taste of the period.
Previously held in a Central European private collection, the Foundation purchased the work at the Lempertz auction house (Cologne, Germany) in May 2024. Faithful to its commitment to recover Spanish heritage located abroad, the FMCMP has also embarked on the restoration of the painting following its acquisition
