1 / 6

20 - Juan SOREDA (active in Castile from 1520-21 to 1546-49).
See original version (French)

Estimate €2,500 - €4,000

Description

Juan SOREDA (active in Castile from 1520-21 to 1546-49). Saint John the Baptist. Panel. (Minor accidents.) Height 80 cm ; Width : 51 cm. The forerunner of Christ is depicted full-length in the foreground, in a wooded landscape, near a spring flowing into a small pool, no doubt an allusion to the water of baptism. Dressed in a camel's hair mantle covered by a wide drapery tied over his left shoulder, the saint is holding the sacred book in which the lamb, the symbol of Christ, rests, pointing with his right index finger to the text from John (1:29) "Look, here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world". In a clear contraposto position, twisting and elongating the drapery of the cloak and the gesture of the right arm, this Saint John the Baptist has an oval bearded face, a rebellious look and shaggy hair. This vehemence reflects the authoritarian nature of the injunction and means that this work can be placed in the Castilian Mannerist movement of the early 16th century. It is attributed to Juan Soreda, one of the representatives of this style in the Valladolid region. Long known as the Master of Olivares del Duero, and later confused with Juan de Pereda, Juan Soreda, a painter of Catalan or Valencian origin, trained in the circle of Pablo de San Leocadio and the Osonas. His early style reflects the influence of Juan de Borgoña, particularly noticeable in the Bolea altarpiece (A. Padron Merida, "El retablo de Bolea y sus autores", in Goya, Madrid 1994, no. 241-242, pp. 22-31). Having settled in Castile at the beginning of the sixteenth century, he gradually assimilated Italian models (Raphael, Leonardo, Michelangelo), which were disseminated through possible stays in Italy and through his knowledge of engravings. Documented in Sigüenza between 1520 and 1528, he executed the altarpiece of Santa Librada (1526-1528), marked by Raphaelesque refinement, and a predella with the Apostles where Michelangelo's vigour was beginning to show. (See Ana Avila Padron, "El pintor Juan Soreda, estudio de su obra" in Goya, 1979, pp. 136-145). Our Saint John the Baptist can be compared to the Saint Peter of this predella (cf. Avila Padron op. cit. pl.VI, p. 139), whose dynamic body and penetrating gaze allow us to place the execution of our panel in the third decade of the 16th century, after 1520, on the return from Soreda's trip to Italy and before his participation in the Olivares del Duero altarpiece, where the anatomical power, the taste for the nude and the dramatisation (e.g. Martyrdom of Saint Pelagius) were all present. (cf. J.J. Martin Gonzalez, "Actualidad del retablo mayor de Olivares del Duero" Boletin del seminario de estudios de arte y arqueologia, 1987, no. 53 p. 372-374). Part I: Thursday 18 June 2026 - Chapter 1: Old drawings and paintings from various enthusiasts Expert : Stéphane PINTA | Cabinet TURQUIN.

See original version (French)

Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.

About the sale COLLECTIONS & CLASSIC WORKS - PART I

Auction location

Auction time 06/18/2026 at 2:00 PM

Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House

20 - Juan SOREDA (active in Castile from 1520-21 to 1546-49). See original version (French)

20 - Juan SOREDA (active in Castile from 1520-21 to 1546-49).
See original version (French)