Spanish school; second half of the 16th century.

Spanish school; second half of the 16th century.
"Prayer in the Garden".
Oil on canvas glued to board.
It has a frame with flaws and damage caused by xylophages.
Measurements: 45 x 37 cm; 52 x 44,5 cm (frame).
This devotional painting represents Jesus in the Garden of Olives at the moment when the angel comforts him, while his disciples Peter, John and James sleep beside him (Matthew: ch. 26 v. 37; Mark: ch. 14 v. 33). The Gospels narrate that, distressed by a strange sadness, Jesus went to pray on the Mount of Olives, where the apostles followed him. Once there, Jesus withdraws to one side to pray, the moment of the crucifixion becoming present to him. Thus, this episode begins the bloody Passion in the soul of Christ. The apostles fall into a deep sleep, and an angel appears to Jesus to comfort him. In fact, this episode alludes to the greatest temptation of Jesus' life, the last of all: knowing his destiny, he can either flee from his enemies or continue to fulfill his divine mission, risking his life.
Aesthetically the work belongs to the Spanish school characterized by the great influence of the Flemish primitives, which survived in Spain for a long time, largely due to the political and cultural ties between the two countries. Flemish painting was, in the 15th century, the most advanced in Europe, and influenced all national schools, including Italian. It was considered an art of enormous refinement, with works executed and treated as jewels. This consideration was also due to the very rich materials used in its execution, as well as the assemblies of the panels, which, as we see here, were of great richness. The features of the Hispano-Flemish school are close to those of Flemish painting, starting with the greatest concern of the painters of Flanders, the search for reality above all else. In relation to this desire, enormous attention is paid to the qualities of the objects, as well as to the smallest details, often endowed with a symbolic charge. The iconography continues to be mainly religious, and the scenes will be dominated by a correct and precise drawing, very meticulous.