1 / 6
Photo 1/6 du lotPhoto 2/6 du lotPhoto 3/6 du lotPhoto 4/6 du lotPhoto 5/6 du lotPhoto 6/6 du lot
Premium Templum Fine Art Auctions

513 - Luis de Morales "The Divine" (Badajoz c. 1510 – 1586) – Ecce…
See original version (Spanish)

Estimate €45,000 - €80,000
Sale commission
Description
Luis de Morales "The Divine" (Badajoz c. 1510 – 1586) – Ecce Homo Oil on panel. Dimensions: 52 × 34 cm (unframed). We would like to thank Isabel Mateo for her assistance in cataloguing this work. Luis de Morales, also known as “El Divino Morales”, is regarded by his early biographers as a unique painter within the Spanish art scene of the second half of the 16th century. All authors agree that he was more of a creator of small paintings for private devotion than an altarpiece painter, particularly with Passion themes and a wide variety of iconography. His clientele was significant not only in number but also in social standing, enabling Morales to establish a high-quality workshop to fulfil the numerous commissions he received. In this instance, we are dealing with an unpublished work by the artist, in which the figure of Jesus appears against a dark, neutral background, clad in a red cloak and crowned by rays of golden light very similar to those used by Jan Heemsen. He wears a scarlet mantle tied at the right shoulder, its folds marked with fine white brushstrokes and sharp edges. In his left hand, he holds a reed sceptre—perhaps a symbol of mockery in the Praetorium—and his right hand remains tied to his body by a rope, a gesture fraught with tension. Only two thorns pierce his forehead, from which discreet drops of blood fall, barely visible against his complexion. His face, tilted slightly to the right, has one eye lower than the other; his mouth, half-open, reveals his teeth; and his straight nose almost meets his eyebrows. His ear stands out amongst the fine hair, a detail Morales emphasised repeatedly. The attribution to Morales is based on parallels with other ‘Ecce Homo’ paintings that share, for example, the parallel-painted eyelashes and subtle tears—such as the example sold at Christie’s on 21 May 2025—the sculptural treatment of the musculature, and the soft glazes on the cloak. Likewise, the tilt of the head and the ...
See original version (Spanish)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
About the sale GRAND JULY AUCTION – FINE ART, OLD MASTERS AND JEWELLERY
Auction location
Auction time 07/15/2026 at 3:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
You may also like