Madrid School, 17th Century

Richard Owen,

thence by descent

This grand and emotive drawing is similar in handling and technique to a number of drawings by the Spanish artist Eugenio Cajes (1574-1634), including representations of TheAdoration of the Shepherds and St Peter Receiving The Keys in the National Library, Madrid, and The Holy Family on a Journey, in the Prado.¹ The broad use of wash to create forms and shadows and the bold black chalk under-drawing that characterise those sheets are also very evident in the present work.

Cajes was one of the group of artists who worked at El Escorial, the monastery founded by King Philip II of Spain in 1563. Born in Madrid, Cajes was later appointed Royal Painter, in 1612. While working predominantly for the palace, he also produced a considerable amount of work for churches and convents. His distinctive style is characterised by a strong focus on chiaroscuro and a softness of modeling.

1. D. Angulo & A.E. Pérez Sanchez, A Corpus of Spanish Drawings, Volume Two Madrid School 1600 to 1650, London 1977, p.14. no. 8, reproduced pl. III, p. 16, no. 25, reproduced pl. IX and pp. 16-17, no. 29, reproduced pl. IX