Anonymous, Andean School (18th Century)

Peter G. Wray, Scotsdale
Ramón Osuna, Washington
Sale: Christie's, New York, Important Latin American Paintings, Drawings, Sculpture, and Prints, May 17, 1993, lot 67, illustrated in color
Private Collection, Mexico

Washington, D.C., The Organization of American States, The Art Museum of The Americas, May 2-June 29, 1991; Washington, D.C., The George Washington University Dimock Gallery, June 6-September 12, 1991; Miami, The Historical Museum of Southern Florida, January-March 1991, Temples of Gold, Crowns of Silver: Reflections of Majesty in the Viceregal Americas, no.42-7

Barbara von Barghahn, "A Silver Age of Colonial Latin America. The Viceregal Andes and the Persistence of Tradition", The 1992 Washington Antiques Show, 1992, pl. 2-3, pp. 101-8, illustrated

All of these painting have been lined with a non-wax adhesive. They have all been restored perhaps in the past 20 or 30 years. Although each picture will not be addressed individually in this report, it is fair to say that the condition of the entire series is extremely good. In a few pictures there are original seams where the canvas was joined by the artist. In the composition with the Tower of Babel in the upper left, there are some losses along the lower edge. In the composition of Babylon, there is an addition across the bottom edge beneath the inscription and along the top edge in the sky. There are also some additions and restorations along the bottom edge in the composition with the five women and the parasol. The other three are mostly very well preserved. (This condition report has been provided courtesy of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.)
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

In the early Spanish colonial world,  the main sources of arts patronage were the government and the Catholic Church. This patronage produced  many religious paintings as well as portraits of the reigning elite. Paintings with classical Greco-Roman themes, such as the present series of The Wonders of the Ancient World, were rare. The ancient wonders were originally seven in number, in this example the missing theme is the Temple of Artemis in Epheseus. Perhaps this was never created because of the strength of Marian devotion in South America or perhaps it did not survive to the present day.

The theme of the ancient wonders was a popular in Europe and inspired many prints, the most famous being series by Antonio Tempesta in 1608 in Italy and Maerten des Vos in the Netherlands in 1614. There is a striking similarity in the composition of The Lighthouse of Alexandria (The Lighthouse of Messne) with the series done by Dutch painter Maarten van Heemskerck which were made into engravings by Phillip Galle in 1572.

The present extraordinary series of paintings were based on one of these print series which would have been exported to the New World, most probably of French origin as many of the legends at the bottom of the paintings are in a version of Old French. The creator of this series used the European prints as a point of reference and re-interpreted them according to his experience and the themes he was most familiar with – that of religious painting.  Some of the works follow traditional iconography such as The Lighthouse of Alexandria where the architect is seen showing King Ptolemy the plans for the building. Others, totally deviate from the classical iconography: The Statue of Jupiter at Olympus has been re-interpreted as Moses (a father figure) pardoning his brother. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon have been visualized as a turreted fort with a Santiago Matamoros, crowned by Andean feathers, defeating a beast. With its multiple sources brought together in the same paintings, this unique series is a testament to the converging cultures of the Spanish Colonial world.