Attributed to Juan de Anchieta (1533-1588) Northern Spanish, possibly Pamplona, circa 1574-1588

Overall the condition of the wood is good, with some dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There are a few losses to the edges of the frame, mostly due to past worming; in particular to the left side and to the right side at the back. There is very minor stable splitting to the wood consistent with the material, notably to the bottom on the left side. The right side of the relief is carved separately, and the joint running through is slightly open but stable. There is some wax fill around the top of this joint. There is a minor loss to one of the soldiers' proper left arm around this joint. There is wear to the gilding and polychromy, including some very minor areas of loss, in particular at the high points, such as Christ's proper right hand and some of the noses. There is also minor craquelure, including to the skin tones. There is particular wear to the gilding of the hat of the soldier standing to the proper right of Christ, and the cloak of the soldier standing above Christ. The estofado has worn in areas such as the breastplate and skirt of the soldier to Christ's proper left side. There are several remnants of gold leaf where it has worn. It appears that the frame was once fully gilt and this has largely worn. There are two large modern metal mounts at the back to stabilise the relief. There are four further metal mounts at the corners at the back to facilitate hanging. There is some filling material, including what appears to be animal hair, at the back.
"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."

The present relief, depicting Christ on the Road to Calvary, being aided by Saint Veronica, has convincingly been attributed to the Spanish mannerist sculptor Juan de Anchieta. The sculptor, often hailed as one of the most important promotors of Roman Mannerism, or Romanism, in Spain, was active throughout Northern Spain from 1551 until his death in 1588. He contributed to and produced a number of important altars for parish churches and cathedrals, of which some survive in their original settings, including reliefs on the altarpiece of the Church of Santa Clara in Briviesca and the church of El Salvador in Simancas, which has only in recent years been attributed to the sculptor (op. cit. pp. 90-95).

Originally from Basque country, Juan de Anchieta travelled to Valladolid in 1551 to be apprenticed as a sculptor. While in Valladolid, he familiarised himself with works by lauded Spanish Renaissance sculptors Alonso Berruguete and Juan de Juni. Having completed his apprenticeship in 1557, Juan de Anchieta was immediately hired by Gaspar Becerra to work as an assistant on the altarpiece of the Cathedral of Astorga. Becerra, who had just returned from a ten year tenure in Rome, was perhaps of most decisive influence on Anchieta’s artistic style. Having returned from Rome, where Becerra worked with Giorgio Vasari, and was influenced by the work of Michelangelo, his collaboration with Anchieta on the altarpiece in Astorga shows clearly the first establishments of a Spanish Romanism, where the characteristics associated with the Mannerism of the Italian school were translated to a distinctly Spanish interpretation in wood. The opulent, heavy folds of drapery, frowning, square faces, impressively muscled bodies and complicated poses are all Michelangelesque features which first appeared in this collaborative work, and to which Juan de Anchieta would return repeatedly over his career, which would take him across the entirety of Northern Spain.

The present relief shows a confident, expressive style which compares best to the works Anchieta completed during his artistic maturity (1577- 1588), when he established a workshop in Pamplona. Particularly the reliefs intended for the retable of the church of San Miguel in Vitoria (1575), currently in the Museo Diocesano de Arte Sacro de Alava, make a striking comparison. Not only do they show similarly Michelangelesque characters, with corpulent, heroic, builds clad in ample folds of drapery, but similarities can also be found in the manner of composition, the use of classicised architecture in the background, the faces – with pinched lips, frowns, and square jaws – and the slightly exaggerated poses of the individual characters. These same features can be seen on a different set of reliefs, executed around a year later, for the church of Santa Maria in Caseda, Navarra. Also part of a series of scenes of the Passion, these reliefs are not only iconographically similar, but the panel showing Christ and Veronica in this series even has an identical character to the present relief: the soldier on the right hand side of the composition, is repeated almost literally.

This Christ on the Road to Calvary, then, with its monumental figures with expressive faces, balanced composition, and classicised architectural backdrop, forms an important addition to the later oeuvre of this Spanish master of Mannerism, Juan de Anchieta.

An expertise by Alvaro Pascual Chenel is available from the department upon request.

RELATED LITERATURE
L. Vasallo Toranzo, Juan de Anchita: Aprendiz y oficial de escultura en Castilla (1551 – 1571), Valladolid, 2012