BARTOLOMÉ HERNÁNDEZ

(Activo en Segovia entre 1524 y 1562)

BARTOLOME HERNANDEZ (Active in Segovia between 1524 and 1562) "Saint John the Baptist"

Carved, polychromed, and gilded wooden sculpture. Very little is known about the biography and professional career of the sculptor Bartolome Hernandez. His work is documented in Segovia between 1524, the year in which he created some works for the cathedral, and 1652, the date of the last record of his activity in this city. Of all his works, the best known is the choir stall he carved for the Monastery of Santa Maria del Parral, commissioned in 1526 for 300,000 maravedis. This work, now housed in the Church of San Francisco el Grande in Madrid and the National Archaeological Museum, was created by Bartolome Hernandez Aleman between 1526 and 1530, and it is this work that has allowed the author of this magnificent carving to be identified thanks to its formal and technical characteristics. The classical execution of the face, with its serene expression, is characteristic of the Renaissance aesthetic of the early 16th century. The way in which the artist renders the folds of the cloak is particularly striking, revealing a direct parallel with some figures found in the choir stalls created by Bartolome Hernandez for the Monastery of Santa Maria del Parral, such as Saint John the Evangelist and Christ the Savior. The sculpture depicts Saint John the Baptist according to his traditional iconography, characterized with a beard and long hair, and wearing the camel skin visible beneath the cloak. With the index finger of his right hand, he points to the ground, where the representation of the lamb, now lost, would originally have been located. The less elaborately worked back of the sculpture clearly indicates that it formed part of the sculptural decoration of a significant altarpiece. A study by Jose Luis Romero Torres is included. Dimensions: 121 cm in height