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Andrés Marzo (possibly Calatayud, circa 1605 - Valencia, circa 1671)
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Description
Andrés Marzo (possibly Calatayud, circa 1605 - Valencia, circa 1671)
"Caprichos arquitectónicos" (Architectural caprices)
Pair of oil paintings on canvas. One of them signed.
123 x 184 cm each.
A magnificent pair of exceptionally large paintings depicting architectural caprices, one featuring the scene "The Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence", and the other "The Rape of the Sabines". These two architectural fantasies depict two classical buildings inspired by antiquity, with temples, colonnades, pavilions, arcades, gardens, landscapes, streets, busts, and classical figures with archaic motifs. The two architectural settings serve not only as decorative backdrops but also as the compositio loci—the space where one religious outdoor scene and one indoor scene from classical mythology unfold.
Andrés Marzo is a somewhat mysterious figure in terms of his work, which remains largely unknown. "What survives of his work was destroyed in 1936," states the Prado Museum.
The few known details about this Baroque Spanish painter, who was active in Valencia, suggest that, according to Valencian tradition, he was a disciple of Ribalta. This is confirmed by the painter, historian, collector, and art critic Ceán Bermúdez, following the writings of Marcos Antonio de Orellana, a Valencian jurist and scholar. However, there is a significant gap between the death of Ribalta and the only known signed work by Marzo: a drawing—engraved by José Caudí—for the frontispiece of the Solenes fiestas, that took place in Valencia. As noted by the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, “in 1662 he invented and drew the cover for the book of the celebrations held in that city around the mystery of the [Immaculate] Conception of [Our Lady] in honor of the papal bull issued by Pope Alexander VII the previous year. The book, written by Juan Bautista de Valda, was published in 1663,” and printed by Jerónimo Villagrasa in Valencia.
The preparatory sketch for the engraving, in brown ink and pen on laid paper, is kept in the Prado Museum (D003049). According to them, "another similar drawing is kept in the Museum of Valencia."
The Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando further attributes to him "the painting of Saint Anthony of Padua, which is in the Parish Church of Santa Cruz, and another Saint Anthony in the Parish Church of Santa Catalina" in Valencia. Sadly, these and other works by Marzo have not survived.
However, the appearance of these two architectural caprices on the art market in 2019, one of them signed, significantly raised the perception of this painter's importance. The recovery of a signed Saint Martin from the collection belonging to the Museum of Fine Arts in Valencia —previously listed in old inventories as the pair to a lost Saint George, both depicted as knights—also provided new insight into Marzo's artistic output. These paintings represent the first confirmed examples of his painting, offering a new perspective on his work. While the Saint Martin does not contradict the influences of Ribalta in terms of lighting and human figures, these architectural caprices belong to a genre previously unassociated with him, introducing more advanced artistic influences.
In the religious scene, we witness the martyrdom and death of Saint Lawrence in Rome on August 10, 258 AD, during the persecution of Christians ordered by Emperor Valerian, who demanded that Lawrence hand over the wealth of the Church, expecting riches, gold, and fortune. However, the deacon showed him only the poor and sick whom he cared for, presenting them as his only wealth. Angered by this, Emperor Valerian ordered Lawrence to be cruelly tortured, roasting him on a grill. In the heavens, his soul ascends as an angel of light awaits him with the palm of martyrdom and the crown of glory.
The scene of the Rape of the Sabines, according to the Roman historian Titus Livius (59 BCE–17 CE), occurred in the early history of Rome, shortly after its founding, around the mid-8th century BCE. Romulus and his followers, predominantly men, were concerned that with so few women, the population of the city would not be sustainable, and Rome would not survive more than one generation. Therefore, they went to neighboring cities to seize women to be their wives. After the men of Sabine refused to offer them their women, the Romans devised a plan to abduct the Sabine women during a festival in honor of Neptune, who appears in a niche or alcove in the central interior of the temple depicted in the painting.
Thus, we present two very special pieces, which are captivating for their uniqueness and charm as well as their historical and iconographic significance. One of them is signed, and offering a rare insight into the work of a painter who remains almost unknown in the context of 17th-century Spanish Baroque painting.
The painting is references and reproduced in - Marco García, Víctor. Pintura barroca en Valencia [1600-1730]. (Baroque painting in Valencia [1600-1730]) published by Centro de Estudios Europa Hispánica. Madrid 2021. Pages 205-206, 411-412. Fig 87 cat, nº 1 y cat nº 2. Madrid. 2021.
Reference bibliography:
- Prado Museum. (s.f.). “El papa Alejandro VII, dando el Breve del Misterio de la Concepción”. https://www.museodelprado.es/coleccion/obra-de-arte/el-papa-alejandro-vii-dando-el-breve-del-misterio/97f134a2-58c7-4207-b7d7-7ae3ff75525b
- Diccionario [Interactivo] Ceán Bermúdez. (s.f.). “Marzo, Andrés”. Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. https://ceanbermudez.es/wiki/Marzo,_Andr%C3%A9s
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Andrés Marzo (possibly Calatayud, circa 1605 - Valencia, circa 1671)
"Caprichos arquitectónicos" (Architectural caprices)
Pair of oil paintings on canvas. One of them signed.
123 x 184 cm each.
A magnificent pair of exceptionally large paintings depicting architectural caprices, one featuring the scene "The Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence", and the other "The Rape of the Sabines". These two architectural fantasies depict two classical buildings inspired by antiquity, with temples, colonnades, pavilions, arcades, gardens, landscapes, streets, busts, and classical figures with archaic motifs. The two architectural settings serve not only as decorative backdrops but also as the compositio loci—the space where one religious outdoor scene and one indoor scene from classical mythology unfold.
Andrés Marzo is a somewhat mysterious figure in terms of his work, which remains largely unknown. "What survives of his work was destroyed in 1936," states the Prado Museum.
The few known details about this Baroque Spanish painter, who was active in Valencia, suggest that, according to Valencian tradition, he was a disciple of Ribalta. This is confirmed by the painter, historian, collector, and art critic Ceán Bermúdez, following the writings of Marcos Antonio de Orellana, a Valencian jurist and scholar. However, there is a significant gap between the death of Ribalta and the only known signed work by Marzo: a drawing—engraved by José Caudí—for the frontispiece of the Solenes fiestas, that took place in Valencia. As noted by the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, “in 1662 he invented and drew the cover for the book of the celebrations held in that city around the mystery of the [Immaculate] Conception of [Our Lady] in honor of the papal bull issued by Pope Alexander VII the previous year. The book, written by Juan Bautista de Valda, was published in 1663,” and printed by Jerónimo Villagrasa in Valencia.
The preparatory sketch for the engraving, in brown ink and pen on laid paper, is kept in the Prado Museum (D003049). According to them, "another similar drawing is kept in the Museum of Valencia."
The Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando further attributes to him "the painting of Saint Anthony of Padua, which is in the Parish Church of Santa Cruz, and another Saint Anthony in the Parish Church of Santa Catalina" in Valencia. Sadly, these and other works by Marzo have not survived.
However, the appearance of these two architectural caprices on the art market in 2019, one of them signed, significantly raised the perception of this painter's importance. The recovery of a signed Saint Martin from the collection belonging to the Museum of Fine Arts in Valencia —previously listed in old inventories as the pair to a lost Saint George, both depicted as knights—also provided new insight into Marzo's artistic output. These paintings represent the first confirmed examples of his painting, offering a new perspective on his work. While the Saint Martin does not contradict the influences of Ribalta in terms of lighting and human figures, these architectural caprices belong to a genre previously unassociated with him, introducing more advanced artistic influences.
In the religious scene, we witness the martyrdom and death of Saint Lawrence in Rome on August 10, 258 AD, during the persecution of Christians ordered by Emperor Valerian, who demanded that Lawrence hand over the wealth of the Church, expecting riches, gold, and fortune. However, the deacon showed him only the poor and sick whom he cared for, presenting them as his only wealth. Angered by this, Emperor Valerian ordered Lawrence to be cruelly tortured, roasting him on a grill. In the heavens, his soul ascends as an angel of light awaits him with the palm of martyrdom and the crown of glory.
The scene of the Rape of the Sabines, according to the Roman historian Titus Livius (59 BCE–17 CE), occurred in the early history of Rome, shortly after its founding, around the mid-8th century BCE. Romulus and his followers, predominantly men, were concerned that with so few women, the population of the city would not be sustainable, and Rome would not survive more than one generation. Therefore, they went to neighboring cities to seize women to be their wives. After the men of Sabine refused to offer them their women, the Romans devised a plan to abduct the Sabine women during a festival in honor of Neptune, who appears in a niche or alcove in the central interior of the temple depicted in the painting.
Thus, we present two very special pieces, which are captivating for their uniqueness and charm as well as their historical and iconographic significance. One of them is signed, and offering a rare insight into the work of a painter who remains almost unknown in the context of 17th-century Spanish Baroque painting.
The painting is references and reproduced in - Marco García, Víctor. Pintura barroca en Valencia [1600-1730]. (Baroque painting in Valencia [1600-1730]) published by Centro de Estudios Europa Hispánica. Madrid 2021. Pages 205-206, 411-412. Fig 87 cat, nº 1 y cat nº 2. Madrid. 2021.
Reference bibliography:
- Prado Museum. (s.f.). “El papa Alejandro VII, dando el Breve del Misterio de la Concepción”. https://www.museodelprado.es/coleccion/obra-de-arte/el-papa-alejandro-vii-dando-el-breve-del-misterio/97f134a2-58c7-4207-b7d7-7ae3ff75525b
- Diccionario [Interactivo] Ceán Bermúdez. (s.f.). “Marzo, Andrés”. Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. https://ceanbermudez.es/wiki/Marzo,_Andr%C3%A9s
The origins of an Antiquarian · Passion for sculpture
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