Juan de Arellano Circle

Circle of JUAN DE ARELLANO (Santorcaz, Madrid, 1614 - Madrid, 1676)
"The sense of smell".
Oil on canvas. Relined.
Measurements: 99 x 89 cm; 117 x 106 cm (frame).

A young woman in the foreground directs her gaze to the viewer while smelling a small flower. With her right hand she holds a large bouquet that harmonizes with the floral arrangement located to her left. The scene is observed by a dog, which introduces another story, of a religious nature, which takes place in the background.Aesthetically, the work presents a very similar model to a painting entitled Allegory of Smell, belonging to the collection of the María Cristina Masaveu Paterson Foundation. This work, attributed to the circle of Arellano, is part of a series dedicated to the five senses. Among these paintings, the allegory of smell, which has a composition similar to the present painting, stands out; on the back of both works, the biblical passage in which Adam receives the breath of life from God can be seen. However, in this painting, the composition is reduced to the main character, omitting the moment in which Mary Magdalene washes Christ's feet, which does appear in the work of the Masaveu Foundation.Allegorical paintings emerged in the Middle Ages with the intention of exalting qualities or situations of life. This type of portrait was used to highlight the virtues of specific characters, such as kings or well-known figures. However, in this particular case a famous personage is not represented. The painter has chosen to reflect the original concept of the use of allegory in pictorial art.

Juan de Arellano was an artist who achieved great artistic recognition, largely due to his virtuosity in flower paintings. At first he was dedicated to painting religious themes, but he soon abandoned this genre to dedicate himself to flower painting. The Prado Museum inscribes his works within the tradition of Juan van der Hamen continued by his pupil Antonio Ponce, in a more formal and rigid form, transmuted in a more complicated baroque direction. He received his first influences from Flemish examples, especially from Daniel Seghers, thanks to which he was able to endow his works with a meticulous and precious technique that he always kept. In addition, he copied abundantly the works of the Roman Mario Nuzzi, known as Mario dei Fiori, one of the best definers of the genre and well known in Spain. From him he took a more lively formulation in the strokes that led him in the profuse and exuberant direction already mentioned. In his workshop, in addition to flower paintings, there was room for other genres such as still lifes, portraits, landscapes, allegorical and religious themes. It is known that he collaborated with other artists who painted the figures that Arellano surrounded with his floral compositions, such as Francisco Camilo and Mateo Cerezo. Among his disciples is his son José, who repeated his father's models with a less refined technique that showed a certain dryness and a more muted chromatism. Today his work can be found in various private collections and in important centers of artistic interest such as the Prado Museum.