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Premium Attributed to Marcos Zapata Inca (Cuzco, Peru, circa 1710 - …
Attributed to Marcos Zapata Inca (Cuzco, Peru, circa 1710 - …
Lot no. 70
Description
Attributed to Marcos Zapata Inca (Cuzco, Peru, circa 1710 - 1773)
“Saint Peter Pascual in captivity, invited by an angel to offer his sufferings to the Holy Family”
Oil on canvas.
85 x 64.5 cm.
A curious, luminous, and devotional painting depicting Saint Peter Pascual, a Spanish religious figure and Mercedarian bishop of Jaén (Valencia, c. 1277 – Granada, 1300), being consoled and invited to offer his sufferings in captivity to the Holy Kinship: the Virgin Mary—whom he fervently defended in his writings—holding the Christ Child in her arms; Saint Joseph, praying silently and devoutly with hands crossed over his chest; Saint Joachim, who presents and introduces him; and Saint Anne, who welcomes him with open arms.
The Holy Trinity—Father and Holy Spirit—bless the moment from above, joining the Son, who is already at the centre of the composition, cradled in His Mother’s arms. At the moment of prayer and offering, the bishop’s crozier and mitre lie at his feet in a gesture of humility.
Saint Peter Pascual was a Mercedarian friar renowned for his learning, his public defence of the Immaculate Conception, and his redemptive ministry. Sharing the fate of prisoners, he died a martyr—beheaded for his faith—on 6 December 1300 while held captive in Muslim lands. During his imprisonment, he wrote apologetic treatises, including some against the Mohammedan sect and a work known as the 'Biblia Pequeña'. He is considered the patron saint of Mercedarian students, and his cult was confirmed by Pope Clement X.
The artist paints the figures with expressive gestures and dynamic movement, using intense colours and strong contrasts of light and shadow to bring a sense of realism to the scene.
It is likely that the painting was commissioned by the Mercedarian fathers themselves who, providing specific guidelines, intended to inspire devotion among the students of their order as they contemplated their holy patron.
Marcos Zapata is known for paintings that capture the rich religious tradition of colonial Peru. Among his most outstanding artworks is the monumental canvas of The Last Supper (1753), which adorns the refectory of Cuzco Cathedral. This painting is famous for the inclusion of local elements, such as the guinea pig, which replaces the traditional lamb, a detail that reflects how Cuzco artists adapted European iconographies to their Andean context.
Another important example is the series of paintings on the life of St. Ignatius of Loyola, located in the Church of the Society of Jesus in Cuzco.
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