Attributed to José Jiménez Donoso

Private Collection;
with José de la Mano, 2009 (as Anónimo madrileño, segunda mitad del siglo XVII),
where purchased by the present owner

This fascinating study, executed in pen and ink and squared for transfer, provides great insight into the working methods employed by artists when revising designs for their various patrons.  The attribution to José Jiménez Donoso has been suggested by Dr. Zahira Véliz, former curator of the Apelles Collection.  Dr. Véliz points out Donoso's active involvement with ephemeral decorations for the Court, alongside the artist Claudio Coello (see lot 79).  She mentions in particular the decorations in connection with the entry of María Luisa de Orleans to Madrid, in 1679, and more specifically the works for the 'Arco del Prado' where one of the subjects was Iglesia Cristiana; Dr. Véliz proposes that the present sheet could be a preparatory drawing for this project. 

Looking closely at the drawing one can see various paper additions where the artist has adjusted the iconography, perhaps, as Dr. Véliz suggests, demonstrating the fast-paced working environment where ideas were continuously evolving, which was presumably so often the case in preparation for these grand scale ephemeral commissions.