Gregorio Fernández
Encyclopedia
Gregorio Fernández was a Spanish Baroque sculptor. He belongs to the Castilian school of sculpture, following the style of other great artists like Alonso Berruguete
, Juan de Juni
, Pompeyo Leoni and Juan de Arfe.
, in what is now the province of Lugo. Later in his life he travelled to Valladolid
, lured by the royal household. After working as an assistant in other studios, Gregorio Fernández founded his own, where he received many apprentices and collaborators and developed a huge activity thanks to his wide clientele.
After his death, Gregorio Fernández left many pupils who followed his style, but he did not have any significant disciples. He achieved great reputation during his life, a good example of this would be the fact that in his tomb in the convent of the Carmen Calzado a portrait of him was placed, painted by his friend Diego Valentín Díaz
, accompanied by a text praising his work.
Gregorio Fernández was a great expert on his trade, which he practiced with high technical perfection. His extensive knowledge of the human body allowed him to create highly detailed anatomies with the hardness of bones, the tension of muscles, the tenderness of flesh or the smoothness of skin. Compared to the extreme expressiveness of the bodies, the robes are heavy, cardboard like, arranged in sharp and rigid folds which produce a strong contrast of light and shadow.
The deep expressive world of his figures swings between the dramatic quality of physical and moral pain and the evasion of mystical experience, and is expressed through calm postures and restrained gesticulation, leaving the greatest expressive influence to both face and hands, all of that in a simple composition.
The quality of his works was improved thanks to the extensive collaboration of painters who developed the polychrome of the statues. The embodiments are usually matt and plain colours stand out in the cloths, except for the small borders which are more colorful. The realism is accentuated with the help of added false elements which boost the feeling of authenticity: eyes are made of glass, nails and teeth of ivory, blood clots of cork, sweat drops and tears of resin.
Fernández created sculptures for altarpieces and
“pasos procesionales”, like Camino del Calvario (Spanish for “the way to Calvary”). He made many iconographic images (Cristo Yacente,, La Piedad, el Ecce Homo, Santa Teresa) which served as models for other artists for many years to come.
Alonso Berruguete
Alonso González de Berruguete was a Spanish painter, sculptor and architect. He is considered to be the most important sculptor of the Spanish Renaissance, and is known for his emotive sculptures depicting religious ecstasy or torment.Born in the town of Paredes de Nava, Berrugete studied art...
, Juan de Juni
Juan de Juni
Juan de Juni was a French–Spanish sculptor, who also worked as a painter and architect.-Career:...
, Pompeyo Leoni and Juan de Arfe.
Biography
Gregorio Fernández was born in SarriaSarria
Sarria is a municipality in the province of Lugo, northwestern Spain, in the autonomous community of Galicia. Sarria is the most densely populate town on the French Way in Galicia, with 13 700 inhabitants...
, in what is now the province of Lugo. Later in his life he travelled to Valladolid
Valladolid
Valladolid is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, situated at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers, and located within three wine-making regions: Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Cigales...
, lured by the royal household. After working as an assistant in other studios, Gregorio Fernández founded his own, where he received many apprentices and collaborators and developed a huge activity thanks to his wide clientele.
After his death, Gregorio Fernández left many pupils who followed his style, but he did not have any significant disciples. He achieved great reputation during his life, a good example of this would be the fact that in his tomb in the convent of the Carmen Calzado a portrait of him was placed, painted by his friend Diego Valentín Díaz
Diego Valentín Díaz
Diego Valentín Díaz, a Spanish historical painter, and a familiar of the Holy Office, was a native of Valladolid. He painted many important pictures for churches and monasteries, especially for the church of San Benito, now a barrack, and the convents of St. Jerome and of St. Francis, of which the...
, accompanied by a text praising his work.
Gregorio Fernández was a great expert on his trade, which he practiced with high technical perfection. His extensive knowledge of the human body allowed him to create highly detailed anatomies with the hardness of bones, the tension of muscles, the tenderness of flesh or the smoothness of skin. Compared to the extreme expressiveness of the bodies, the robes are heavy, cardboard like, arranged in sharp and rigid folds which produce a strong contrast of light and shadow.
The deep expressive world of his figures swings between the dramatic quality of physical and moral pain and the evasion of mystical experience, and is expressed through calm postures and restrained gesticulation, leaving the greatest expressive influence to both face and hands, all of that in a simple composition.
The quality of his works was improved thanks to the extensive collaboration of painters who developed the polychrome of the statues. The embodiments are usually matt and plain colours stand out in the cloths, except for the small borders which are more colorful. The realism is accentuated with the help of added false elements which boost the feeling of authenticity: eyes are made of glass, nails and teeth of ivory, blood clots of cork, sweat drops and tears of resin.
Fernández created sculptures for altarpieces and
“pasos procesionales”, like Camino del Calvario (Spanish for “the way to Calvary”). He made many iconographic images (Cristo Yacente,, La Piedad, el Ecce Homo, Santa Teresa) which served as models for other artists for many years to come.
Works
- San Martín partiendo la capa con un mendigo (1606). Church of San Martín (Valladolid)
- San Antolín (1606). Palencia CathedralPalencia CathedralPalencia Cathedral is situated in Palencia, Spain. It is dedicated to Saint Antoninus of Pamiers ....
- Arcángel Gabriel de Alfaro (La Rioja) (1611)
- Santa Verónica (1614)
- Paso del Descendimiento de Cristo
- Cristo atado a la columna
- La Piedad
- Ecce Homo
- Cristo de los Balderas (1631). Church of San Marcelo (LeónLeón, SpainLeón is the capital of the province of León in the autonomous community of Castile and León, situated in the northwest of Spain. Its city population of 136,985 makes it the largest municipality in the province, accounting for more than one quarter of the province's population...
) - Cristo Yacente for the Duke of Lerma. Church of San Pablo (Valladolid)
- Éxtasis de Santa Teresa. National Sculpture Museum (Valladolid)
- Bautismo de Cristo. National Sculpture Museum (Valladolid)
- Cristo de la Luz. Palacio de Santa Cruz (Valladolid)
- Inmaculada Concepción. Church of La Vera Cruz (SalamancaSalamancaSalamanca is a city in western Spain, in the community of Castile and León. Because it is known for its beautiful buildings and urban environment, the Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. It is the most important university city in Spain and is known for its contributions to...
) - Main Altarpiece. Huelgas Reales (Valladolid)
- Main Altarpiece. PlasenciaPlasenciaPlasencia is a walled market city in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura, Western Spain. , it had a population of 41,447.Situated on the bank of the Jerte River, Plasencia has a historic quarter that is a consequence of the city's strategic location along the Silver Route, or Ruta de la Plata...
Cathedral (CáceresCáceres, SpainCáceres is the capital of the same name province, in the autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain. , its population was 91,131 inhabitants. The municipio has a land area of 1,750.33 km², and is the largest in geographical extension in Spain....
) - Altarpice. Descalzas Reales (Valladolid)
- Main Altarpiece. Miranda do DouroMiranda do DouroMiranda do Douro or Miranda de l Douro , is a city in Miranda do Douro Municipality, district of Bragança, Portugal.The city has a population of 1,960.-General information:...
Cathedral (PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
) - Effigies for the Holy WeekHoly WeekHoly Week in Christianity is the last week of Lent and the week before Easter...
processions of Valladolid: "Sed Tengo" and "Camino del Calvario" (National Sculpture Museum), "El Entierro" (La Piedad and the two thieves in the National Sculpture Museum, and La Magdalena y San Juan in the church of Las Angustias), "La Coronación de Espinas" (Cristo Ecce Hommo in the church of La Vera-Cruz, and the executioners in the National Sculpture Museum), "La Flagelación" (Cristo atado a la columna in the church of La Vera-Cruz, and the executioners in the National Sculpture Museum), "El Descendimiento" and "La Virgen de la Vera Cruz", these last four property of the Cofradía Penitencial de la Santa Vera Cruz.
Sources
- Martín González, Juan José, Escultura barroca castellana. 2 vols. Madrid. Fundación Lázaro Galdiano. 199.
- Martín González, Juan José, El escultor Gregorio Fernández. Madrid. Ministerio de cultura. 1980.
- Otero Túñez, Ramón, Evolución estilística de Gregorio Fernández, in Boletín de la Universidad de Santiago. 1957.
- Río y de la Hoz, Isabel del, Gregorio Fernández y su escuela. Cuadernos de Arte Español. Madrid. Historia 16. 1991
- North Fowler, Harold, A History of Sculpture. Kessinger Publishing. 2005