Cuzco School, 18th/19th Century Crowning of the Virgin

Description:

Cuzco School, 18th/19th Century

Crowning of the Virgin
Unsigned.
Oil on canvas, 65 1/4 x 42 in. (165.7 x 106.7 cm),framed.
Condition: Strip lined, retouch, flaking/losses, craquelure, surface grime.

N.B. The Cuzco School comprised anonymous Catholic devotional painters who were influenced by European styles of visual representation brought by the Spanish to Cuzco, Peru during the 17th and 18th centuries. The Cuzco style is the result of both imported and native folk influences, and is characterized by naturalistic modeling of the face and extremities with a flat Byzantine-like treatment of the body and background. As the works served a didactic purpose, they frequently depict adoration scenes of the Virgin and Christ child, and were often painted with vigorous ornamentation.

Provenance: Private New England Collection
Estimate $3,000-5,000

Canvas deformations, mounting bubbles, strip lined and restretched to a larger format (i.e. tacking margins visible within frame),canvas is comprised of three pieces sewn together with one vertical and one horizontal seam visible verso (beneath crossbar),restored tear with resulting patch in l.l. quadrant (on far left angel''s face, approx. 2"L),stretcher bar lines, extensive retouch to old tacking margin, large retouch to area in background above Virgin''s hair, areas strengthened by retouch include brown/red floral ornament to Virgin''s garment, flowers in angel''s hands u.l., and Virgin''s crown, canvas on stretcher bars nailed to frame (i.e. not inset into frame rabbet).

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