Spanish School, 16th Century

Related to the sculpture of Christ Crucified (1592) by Pablo de Rojas (1549-1611) in the Chapel of the Beneficiados of the Cathedral in Granada (Fig. 1). The present drawing, which appears to predate the sculpture, may have been a preparatory study by one of the master's assistants. It has been suggested that the author of the drawing may have been Juan Martínez Montañes (1568-1649); he studied with de Rojas at the period of the Granada Christ and later worked primarily in Seville, where his superb sculptures earned him the soubriquet 'el Dios de la Madera' ('the God of Wood').

We are very grateful to Dr Benito Navarrete for his assistance in preparing this catalogue note.