Flemish school; Circulo del maestro de la santa sangre; SXVI.

Flemish school; Circle of the MASTER OF THE HOLY BLOOD; XVI century.
"Christ supported by the Virgin and St. John".
Oil on panel.
It has frame of the nineteenth century in ebony veneered wood.
Measurements: 36 x 25 cm; 49 x 37 cm (frame).
The theme of this painting is part of the iconographic tradition of the Lamentation of Christ, a recurring theme in Christian art that evokes the pain and sadness after the crucifixion. The composition focuses on the lifeless body of Christ, whose pallor contrasts with the emotional intensity of the surrounding figures: the Virgin Mary and St. John the Evangelist. The Virgin, with a gesture of deep grief, holds her son. The symmetry and balance of the composition are key elements in conveying the solemnity of the moment. The background, dominated by a break of glory in which the representation of the Holy Spirit can be seen, shows a sober finish that enhances the luminosity of the figures, accentuating the drama of the scene and creating an atmosphere of recollection.
This work is a clear example of the distinctive characteristics of the Flemish school of the 16th century. Meticulous realism, attention to detail and mastery of the oil technique are evident in every element of the painting. The figures are depicted with an anatomical precision and emotional expressiveness that reveal the artist's mastery. The details, from the textures of the canvases to the facial features of the characters, are treated with a meticulousness that denotes a profound knowledge of reality.
Aesthetically, the piece is reminiscent of models created by the painter known as the "Master of the Holy Blood", a Flemish painter, originally from Antwerp, whose workshop was active in Bruges in the first quarter of the 16th century. His name comes from the Chapel of the Holy Blood in Bruges, where a triptych representing a Pietà is preserved, donated in 1519 to the Confraternity of the Holy Blood. Like all anonymous masters, his biography is little known, apart from the fact that he established his workshop in Bruges in the early 16th century. He and his apprentices produced devotional works for sale and not on commission, unlike most of his contemporaries. He seems to have been a disciple or close disciple of Quentin Metsys and was also influenced by Hans Memling. He was also a follower of Gérard David and Hugo Van der Goes. The influence of Quentin Metsys can be seen especially in certain types of saints and in the almost caricatured male figures. He seems to have had a predilection for faces presented three-quarter length, slender, with straight and thin noses, small mouths and round chins in the case of women, more pronounced in the case of men. The eyelids are lowered in a crescent or slit shape, in which case the pupils are round and very dark. The light brown curly hair has reddish highlights. The hands extend from the forearm without showing the wrist bone. The long fingers are parallel or slightly bent, except for the little finger, which is usually extended. The preparatory brushstroke is often very visible, closely outlining the silhouettes.