Lot 20
  • 20

Circle of Guyot de Beaugrant (circa 1500-1549) Spanish, mid 16th century

Estimate
60,000 - 80,000 GBP
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Description

  • The Lamentation
  • gilt and polychromed wood, with a later pine base
  • Circle of Guyot de Beaugrant (circa 1500-1549) Spanish, mid 16th century

Condition

Overall the condition of the wood is good with minor wear to the surface consistent with age. There is a layer of dirt to the surface throughout, which is probably the result of the altarpiece having been in an incense-filled church or a smoky room for much of its life. The altarpiece would benefit from a professional cleaning. There is evidence of non-active worming, in particular to the Magdalen and to the man with the headdress. There is also some worming to the drapery of the man behind the Magdalen, there are some losses to the drapery and a small reattached area directly behind the Magdalen. There are a few minor losses, probably due to worming, including to the drapery around the proper right arm of the man with the headdress and to the proper right side, index finger, and hair of the man behind him, and to the arm drapes of the Magdalen. Two of the fingers of the same man's proper left hand appear to have been reattached, and the Virgin's two middle fingers of the proper right hand may also have been reattached. A few further joints are visible, including at the proper left wrist of the man on the upper right corner of the altarpiece, where a restored joint is also visible in the forearm. There is particular worming to the sides at the back. There is a small loss to Christ's proper right upper arm which appears to be the result of a burn. Some sections are carved separately, and stable original joints are visible, including joints around Christ's knees and to the Virgin's mantle on the proper left side. There is minor stable splitting to the wood consistent with the material, including to the terrasse at the chalice. There is some wear to the gilding and polychromy, including a few losses at the high points such as the proper right knee of the man in the headdress, Christ's upper right knee and the Magdalene's proper left knee. There is a lacuna to the Magdalen's dress and proper left thigh. There is some shiny residue to the cheek of the man on the top right corner of the composition. There are possible later wood reinforcements to the terrasse at the front. The later wood base is in good condition with some dirt and wear including slightly open but stable joints and a few dents.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

This impressive Lamentation group compares with the work of the Netherlandish sculptor Guyot (or Guiot) de Beaugrant and his brother Jean (or Juan), who settled in Bilbao and operated in the Basque Country, Navarre and Rioja. Born in Lorraine, Guyot de Beaugrant first established his reputation in Flanders, where he worked for Margaret of Austria, and executed the important chimney in Bruges celebrating the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. In 1533 he emigrated to Spain, where he was responsible for the high altar for the church of Santiago in Bilbao and for the retable from the church of Nuestra Señora at Elvillar de Alava. Jean de Beaugrant worked closely with his brother and the two are thought to have headed their own itinerant workshops. Due to a lack of documentary evidence, relatively few works are firmly attributed to them, despite the fact that they were clearly very successful in their lifetimes.

The present group finds a compelling comparison in the Retable with the Adoration of the Kings from the church of Santa Maria in Portugalete near Bilbao, which has been attributed to Guyot de Beaugrant, possibly with his brother's intervention, circa 1545-1548 (Loza, op. cit., no. 34). Note the same interest in contextual details, such as the almost identical covered chalice with gadrooned belly. The heavy drapes, with their thick folds, often arranged in circular sweeps, are very close, and the same details are present, such as the tuft of hair on the forehead of the balding Magus in the Adoration which also appears on the head of the rear left mourner in the present group. The long beard of Nicodemus and the trailing strands of hair falling on the Magdalen's shoulders in the present Lamentation recall the figure of St. Andrew from the Retable of Christ in the church of San Severino in Valmaseda, which is attributed to Guyot, Jean and Matthieu de Beaugrant, circa 1545-1550 (Loza, op. cit., no. 37). Nicodemus' purse recalls that suspended from the figure embracing the Virgin by Jean de Beaugrand on the Retablo Mayor also in Portugalete (photograph, Bildarchiv Foto Marburg, inv no. 321.735), whilst his hat with upturned brim compares with headwear throughout the wider Beaugrand oeuvre, including the Tomb of Don Diego de Irusta from the Capilla de las Angustias in Cenarruza (Loza, op. cit., no. 22).

The overall composition of the Lamentation follows a convention seen in wider Spanish sculpture from the period. Compositionally the group is very close to the Lamentation from the church of Santa Maria in Ezcaray, Rioja, circa 1550 (see a Su imagen, op. cit., no. 64). However, it is a format which was also exploited by another of the great Spanish sculptors of the first half of the 16th century, Damián Forment (circa 1480-1540), in a group in the church of Nuestra Señora del Pilar, Saragossa (photograph, Bildarchiv Foto Marburg, inv. no. 322.486).

The present sculpture exhibits superb carving in the dramatic drapes and carefully delineated details, such as the chalice and crown of thorns. The beautiful body of Christ is imbued with a sense of great heaviness as Nicodemus struggles to support the shoulders and the Virgin lifts the languid right hand. The corporeal weight of Christ contrasts with the busy array of drapes, turned heads and gesturing hands above him, which in turn lend to the scene a beautiful cadence in tune with the finest sculptural groups of the period. In the body of Christ, the sculptor references the innovations of Italian Renaissance sculpture, such as the body of Christ from Michelangelo's Pietà, advances which had been introduced to Spain by Alonso Berruguete from 1518.

RELATED LITERATURE
J. A. Barrio Loza, Los Beaugrant: En el contexto de la escultura manierista vasca, Bilbao, 1984, pp. 75-83, 85, 87, 120, 125-130, nos. 19, 22, 34, 37; M. B. Atienza, Guide: Museo Nacional Colegio de San Gregorio, Valladolid, 2003; a Su imagen: Arte, cultura y religión, exh. cat. Centro Cultural de la Villa Fernán Gómez, Madrid, 2015, pp. 226-227