Luisa Roldán
Encyclopedia
Luisa Ignacia Roldán called La Roldana, was a Spanish
sculptress
of the Baroque Era
. She is the first woman sculptor documented in Spain.
Despite the quality of her work—Antonio Palomino considered her as important a sculptor as her father—she died poor, signing a declaration of poverty shortly before her death.
, the daughter of sculptor Pedro Roldán
, and she was taught by her father along with her siblings. After she married a sculptor, Luis Antonio de los Arcos, she worked in Cadiz
from 1686 to 1688. Her marriage to this apprentice of her father was counter to her father's desires. Her biographer Santiago Montoto, writing in 1920, went so far as to characterize it as an "abduction" ("rapto").
She created wooden sculptures as well as statues for the Cathedral of Cadiz and the town council. In 1688 she moved to Madrid
, where she became court sculptor in 1692, serving Charles II
and Philip V
; she also served the Duke of Infantado and was admitted at the end of her life to the Accademia di San Luca
. Nonetheless, she died in poverty in Madrid.
Roldán had seven children, of whom three survived.
. Procession
al statues whose creation can be safely attributed to her include statues of the Virgen de la Soledad, Mary Magdalen, and Jesus
. In Cadiz, works by her include statues of Anthony of Padua
, Ecce Homo
, and Saints Servandus and Cermanus
.
Roldán was a prolific sculptor. Far and away the majority of her work was religious sculpture for churches, but while living in Madrid she also made small terracotta works popular with the petty bourgeoisie. Her pieces were widely distributed in Andalusia
, as well as in Madrid, Mostoles
and Sisante
(Province of Cuenca).
The following are among her most noted works that remain in churches:
A figure of Mary Magdalene
in Cádiz was destroyed by fire at the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War
in 1936.
Other notable works are in collections and museums:
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
sculptress
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
of the Baroque Era
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
. She is the first woman sculptor documented in Spain.
Despite the quality of her work—Antonio Palomino considered her as important a sculptor as her father—she died poor, signing a declaration of poverty shortly before her death.
Life
Roldán was born in SevilleSeville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
, the daughter of sculptor Pedro Roldán
Pedro Roldán
Pedro Roldán was a Baroque sculptor from Seville, Andalusia, Spain. His daughter Luisa Roldán, known as La Roldana, was also a major figure of Spanish Baroque sculpture.- Life :...
, and she was taught by her father along with her siblings. After she married a sculptor, Luis Antonio de los Arcos, she worked in Cadiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
from 1686 to 1688. Her marriage to this apprentice of her father was counter to her father's desires. Her biographer Santiago Montoto, writing in 1920, went so far as to characterize it as an "abduction" ("rapto").
She created wooden sculptures as well as statues for the Cathedral of Cadiz and the town council. In 1688 she moved to Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, where she became court sculptor in 1692, serving Charles II
Charles II of Spain
Charles II was the last Habsburg King of Spain and the ruler of large parts of Italy, the Spanish territories in the Southern Low Countries, and Spain's overseas Empire, stretching from the Americas to the Spanish East Indies...
and Philip V
Philip V of Spain
Philip V was King of Spain from 15 November 1700 to 15 January 1724, when he abdicated in favor of his son Louis, and from 6 September 1724, when he assumed the throne again upon his son's death, to his death.Before his reign, Philip occupied an exalted place in the royal family of France as a...
; she also served the Duke of Infantado and was admitted at the end of her life to the Accademia di San Luca
Accademia di San Luca
The Accademia di San Luca, was founded in 1577 as an association of artists in Rome, under the directorship of Federico Zuccari, with the purpose of elevating the work of "artists", which included painters, sculptors and architects, above that of mere craftsmen. Other founders included Girolamo...
. Nonetheless, she died in poverty in Madrid.
Roldán had seven children, of whom three survived.
Works
Her works are characterized as possessing "clearly delineated profiles, thick locks of hair, billowing draperies, and mystical faces with delicate eyes, knitting brows, rosy cheeks, and slightly parted lips." Her St. Ginés de la Jara, made around 1692, is now at the Getty CenterGetty Center
The Getty Center, in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California, is a campus for cultural institutions founded by oilman J. Paul Getty. The $1.3 billion center, which opened on December 16, 1997, is also well known for its architecture, gardens, and views overlooking Los Angeles...
. Procession
Procession
A procession is an organized body of people advancing in a formal or ceremonial manner.-Procession elements:...
al statues whose creation can be safely attributed to her include statues of the Virgen de la Soledad, Mary Magdalen, and Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
. In Cadiz, works by her include statues of Anthony of Padua
Anthony of Padua
Anthony of Padua or Anthony of Lisbon, O.F.M., was a Portuguese Catholic priest and friar of the Franciscan Order. Though he died in Padua, Italy, he was born to a wealthy family in Lisbon, Portugal, which is where he was raised...
, Ecce Homo
Ecce Homo
Ecce Homo are the Latin words used by Pontius Pilate in the Vulgate translation of the , when he presents a scourged Jesus Christ, bound and crowned with thorns, to a hostile crowd shortly before his Crucifixion. The original Greek is Ἰδοὺ ὁ ἄνθρωπος . The King James Version translates the phrase...
, and Saints Servandus and Cermanus
Servandus and Cermanus
Saints Servandus and Cermanus were Spanish martyrs who are venerated as Christian saints. They were killed at Cádiz. Tradition states that they were from Mérida, and sons of Saint Marcellus the Centurion. They joined the Roman Army and were imprisoned after being identified as Christians. ...
.
Roldán was a prolific sculptor. Far and away the majority of her work was religious sculpture for churches, but while living in Madrid she also made small terracotta works popular with the petty bourgeoisie. Her pieces were widely distributed in Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
, as well as in Madrid, Mostoles
Móstoles
Móstoles is the second-largest city in population belonging to the autonomous community of Madrid. It is located 18 kilometres southwest from central Madrid. Móstoles was for a long time only a small village, but expanded rapidly in the twentieth century....
and Sisante
Sisante
Sisante is a municipality located in the Cuenca Province, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 1,795 inhabitants....
(Province of Cuenca).
The following are among her most noted works that remain in churches:
- Most Holy Mary of Silence (María Santísima del Silencio), JaénJaén, SpainJaén is a city in south-central Spain, the name is derived from the Arabic word Jayyan, . It is the capital of the province of Jaén. It is located in the autonomous community of Andalusia....
- Carved wooden figures of San Servando and San Germán, patrons of CádizCádizCadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
, in the Cádiz CathedralCádiz CathedralCádiz Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church in Cádiz, southern Spain. It was built between 1722 and 1838... - Saint JosephSaint JosephSaint Joseph is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ ....
, Iglesia de San Antonio, Cádiz - Saint Anthony of Padua, Iglesia de Iglesia de Santa Cruz, Cádiz
- Saint John the Baptist, Iglesia de San Antonio de Padua, Cádiz
- Our Lady of Sorrows of the Remedies (Dolorosa de los Remedios), Jerez de la FronteraJerez de la FronteraJerez de la Frontera is a municipality in the province of Cádiz in the autonomous community of Andalusia, in southwestern Spain, situated midway between the sea and the mountains. , the city, the largest in the province, had 208,896 inhabitants; it is the fifth largest in Andalusia...
- Virgin of Solitude (Virgen de la Soledad), Iglesia de la Victoria, Puerto RealPuerto RealPuerto Real is a seaport in southern Spain, in the province of Cádiz and the autonomous region of Andalusia. , it had a population 40,667....
- Ecce HomoEcce HomoEcce Homo are the Latin words used by Pontius Pilate in the Vulgate translation of the , when he presents a scourged Jesus Christ, bound and crowned with thorns, to a hostile crowd shortly before his Crucifixion. The original Greek is Ἰδοὺ ὁ ἄνθρωπος . The King James Version translates the phrase...
, Cádiz Cathedral. 1684. Carved polychromePolychromePolychrome is one of the terms used to describe the use of multiple colors in one entity. It has also been defined as "The practice of decorating architectural elements, sculpture, etc., in a variety of colors." Polychromatic light is composed of a number of different wavelengths...
d woo, 165 cm. The date was confirmed by a document found in its interior during a restoration by J.M. Sánchez Peña in 1984. The head, arms, hands and torso to hip height are in cedarCedar woodCedar wood comes from several different trees that grow in different parts of the world, and may have different uses.* California incense-cedar, from Calocedrus decurrens, is the primary type of wood used for making pencils...
, and the rest including the chlamysChlamysThe chlamys was an ancient Greek piece of clothing, a type of cloak....
is in pinePinePines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
. - Ecce Homo, CórdobaCórdoba, Spain-History:The first trace of human presence in the area are remains of a Neanderthal Man, dating to c. 32,000 BC. In the 8th century BC, during the ancient Tartessos period, a pre-urban settlement existed. The population gradually learned copper and silver metallurgy...
- Archangel Saint MichaelMichael (archangel)Michael , Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; , Mikhaḗl; or Míchaël; , Mīkhā'īl) is an archangel in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic teachings. Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans refer to him as Saint Michael the Archangel and also simply as Saint Michael...
conquering a demon, El EscorialEl EscorialThe Royal Seat of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is a historical residence of the king of Spain, in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, about 45 kilometres northwest of the capital, Madrid, in Spain. It is one of the Spanish royal sites and functions as a monastery, royal palace, museum, and... - Christ of the Pardon, (Cristo del Perdón), Fregenal de la SierraFregenal de la SierraFregenal de la Sierra is a municipality located in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain.- Geography :Fregenal de la Sierra is located in the Sierra Suroeste comarca , among the small hills and ravines of the Sierra Morena...
- Saint Ferdinand, Cathedral of the Canaries , (Gran CanariaGran CanariaGran Canaria is the second most populous island of the Canary Islands, with a population of 838,397 which constitutes approximately 40% of the population of the archipelago...
) - Penitent (Nazareno), Iglesia de las Hermanas Nazarenas, Sisante
A figure of Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
in Cádiz was destroyed by fire at the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
in 1936.
Other notable works are in collections and museums:
- Museum of Fine Arts of SevilleMuseum of Fine Arts of SevilleThe Museum of Fine Arts of Seville or Museo de Bellas Artes de Sevilla is a museum in Seville, Spain, a collection of mainly Spanish visual arts from medieval period to the early 20th century, including a choice selection of works from the so-called Golden Age of Sevillian painting during the 17th...
- Death or Ecstasy of Mary Magdalene, Marriage of Saint Catherine, Hispanic Society of America, New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
- Saint Joachim, Saint Ann and the Virgin as a Child (La Virgen niña con San Joaquín y Santa Ana) and Jesus' First Steps (Los primeros pasos de Jesús), Museum of Fine Arts, Guadalajara, SpainGuadalajara, SpainGuadalajara is a city and municipality in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha, Spain, and in the natural region of La Alcarria. It is the capital of the province of Guadalajara. It is located roughly 60 km northeast of Madrid on the Henares River, and has a population of 83,789...
- Saint Michael, Royal Ontario MuseumRoyal Ontario MuseumThe Royal Ontario Museum is a museum of world culture and natural history in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. With its main entrance facing Bloor Street in Downtown Toronto, the museum is situated north of Queen's Park and east of Philosopher's Walk in the University of Toronto...
, TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. - The Virgin Appears to Saint James Victoria and Albert MuseumVictoria and Albert MuseumThe Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
External links
- Artcyclopedia
- Biography of Luisa Roldán from the J. Paul Getty Museum
- Exhibition: La Roldana's Saint Ginés: The Making of a Polychrome Sculpture
- World Wide Arts bio La Roldana Luisa I. Roldán, La Roldana: Breve Reseña Biográfica
- Gaze, D (ed) Dictionary of Women Artists, 1997, Fitzroy Dearborn, vol 2, pp. 1192–1195