Pedro Roldán
Encyclopedia
Pedro Roldán was a Baroque sculptor
from Seville
, Andalusia
, Spain
. His daughter Luisa Roldán
, known as La Roldana, was also a major figure of Spanish Baroque sculpture.
(province of Málaga), because his family was from there and his older brother Marcos was born there, or alternatively that he could have been born in Orce
(province of Granada), where his family lived for a time when Pedro was a child
At the age of fourteen, he moved to Granada
where he apprenticed to Alonso de Mena. In 1642 he contracted marriage to Teresa de Jesús Ortega y Villavicencio, who was probably the niece of his master Alonso de Mena. There, in 1644, they had their first daughter, named María. In 1646, Alonso de Mena died, leaving Bernardo de Mora as the head of the studio; Roldán left for Seville. at this time, Juan Martínez Montañés
was at the end of his career, presenting an opeining for Roldán's work.
In 1660 he began to teach classes in sculptural representation as a teacher at the Academy of Art founded by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo
. In his last years, he established a large studio where he collaborated with members of his family (his children and sons-in-law) and his students. The studio designed and constructed altarpiece
s, sculpted and polychrome
d, undertaking projects in places as far-flung as Cádiz
, Jerez de la Frontera
, Córdoba
and Jaén
. He died in 1699, and was buried in the crypt of Saint Mark's Church (Iglesia de San Marcos) in Seville.
Besides Murillo, he was also closely connected to Juan de Valdés Leal
.
Baroque sculpture
Baroque sculpture is the sculpture associated with the Baroque cultural movement, a movement often identified with the existence of important Baroque art and architecture in non-absolutist and Protestant states.-Course:...
from Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
, Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. His daughter Luisa Roldán
Luisa Roldán
Luisa Ignacia Roldán , called La Roldana, was a Spanish sculptress of the Baroque Era. She is the first woman sculptor documented in Spain....
, known as La Roldana, was also a major figure of Spanish Baroque sculpture.
Life
Pedro Roldán was born in Seville in 1624, where he was baptized in the Church of the Sanctuary 14 January 1624, according to his certificate of baptism. It was believed for a time in the 20th century that he might have been born in AntequeraAntequera
Antequera is a city and municipality in the province of Málaga, part of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia. It is known as "the heart of Andalusia" because of its central location among Málaga, Granada, Córdoba, and Seville...
(province of Málaga), because his family was from there and his older brother Marcos was born there, or alternatively that he could have been born in Orce
Orce
Orce is a municipality located in the province of Granada, in southeastern Spain. According to the 2009 census , the city has a population of 1333 inhabitants.- Significance in Paleoanthropology :...
(province of Granada), where his family lived for a time when Pedro was a child
At the age of fourteen, he moved to Granada
Granada
Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
where he apprenticed to Alonso de Mena. In 1642 he contracted marriage to Teresa de Jesús Ortega y Villavicencio, who was probably the niece of his master Alonso de Mena. There, in 1644, they had their first daughter, named María. In 1646, Alonso de Mena died, leaving Bernardo de Mora as the head of the studio; Roldán left for Seville. at this time, Juan Martínez Montañés
Juan Martínez Montañés
Juan Martínez Montañés , known as el Dios de la Madera , was a Spanish sculptor, born at Alcalá la Real, in the province of Jaén. He was one of the most important figures of the Sevillian school of sculpture.His master was Pablo de Roxas. His first known work, dating 1597, is the graceful St...
was at the end of his career, presenting an opeining for Roldán's work.
In 1660 he began to teach classes in sculptural representation as a teacher at the Academy of Art founded by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo
Bartolomé Estéban Murillo
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo was a Spanish Baroque painter. Although he is best known for his religious works, Murillo also produced a considerable number of paintings of contemporary women and children...
. In his last years, he established a large studio where he collaborated with members of his family (his children and sons-in-law) and his students. The studio designed and constructed altarpiece
Altarpiece
An altarpiece is a picture or relief representing a religious subject and suspended in a frame behind the altar of a church. The altarpiece is often made up of two or more separate panels created using a technique known as panel painting. It is then called a diptych, triptych or polyptych for two,...
s, sculpted and polychrome
Polychrome
Polychrome is one of the terms used to describe the use of multiple colors in one entity. It has also been defined as "The practice of decorating architectural elements, sculpture, etc., in a variety of colors." Polychromatic light is composed of a number of different wavelengths...
d, undertaking projects in places as far-flung as Cádiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
, Jerez de la Frontera
Jerez de la Frontera
Jerez de la Frontera is a municipality in the province of Cádiz in the autonomous community of Andalusia, in southwestern Spain, situated midway between the sea and the mountains. , the city, the largest in the province, had 208,896 inhabitants; it is the fifth largest in Andalusia...
, Córdoba
Córdoba, Spain
-History:The first trace of human presence in the area are remains of a Neanderthal Man, dating to c. 32,000 BC. In the 8th century BC, during the ancient Tartessos period, a pre-urban settlement existed. The population gradually learned copper and silver metallurgy...
and Jaén
Jaén, Spain
Jaén is a city in south-central Spain, the name is derived from the Arabic word Jayyan, . It is the capital of the province of Jaén. It is located in the autonomous community of Andalusia....
. He died in 1699, and was buried in the crypt of Saint Mark's Church (Iglesia de San Marcos) in Seville.
Besides Murillo, he was also closely connected to Juan de Valdés Leal
Juan de Valdés Leal
Juan de Valdés Leal was a Spanish painter of the Baroque era.He was born in Seville in 1622, and distinguished himself as a painter, sculptor, and architect. He worked for a time under Antonio del Castillo. Among his works are a History of the Prophet Elias for the church of the Carmelites; a...
.
Descendants
With his wife Teresa de Jesús Ortega y Villavicencio, Roldán had eight children, all of whom worked closely with him in his studio.- María Roldán (born 1644), his oldest daughter, worked as a sculptor and married the sculptor Matías de Brunenque.
- Francisca Roldán, (born 1651), was in charge of painting the faces and hands of the sculptures (giving them the natural colors of flesh), and married sculptor José Felipe Duque Cornejo. Their son Pedro Duque y CornejoPedro Duque y CornejoPedro Duque y Cornejo was a Spanish Baroque painter and sculptor of the Sevillian school of sculpture, a disciple of his grandfather Pedro Roldán....
also became a sculptor, master of the 18th century Sevillian Baroque. - Luisa RoldánLuisa RoldánLuisa Ignacia Roldán , called La Roldana, was a Spanish sculptress of the Baroque Era. She is the first woman sculptor documented in Spain....
(born 1653), known as La Roldana, became one of the major sculptors of the Andalusian Baroque; she married the gilderGildingThe term gilding covers a number of decorative techniques for applying fine gold leaf or powder to solid surfaces such as wood, stone, or metal to give a thin coating of gold. A gilded object is described as "gilt"...
Luis Antonio de los Arcos. - Isabel Roldán (born 1657), goddaughter of Juan de Valdés LealJuan de Valdés LealJuan de Valdés Leal was a Spanish painter of the Baroque era.He was born in Seville in 1622, and distinguished himself as a painter, sculptor, and architect. He worked for a time under Antonio del Castillo. Among his works are a History of the Prophet Elias for the church of the Carmelites; a...
married Alejandro Martagón, a collaborator in Roldán's studion. - Teresa Roldán (born 1660) married twice, to Manuel Caballero and to Pedro de Castillejos.
- Marcelino José (born 1662) became director of the studio on Roldán's death.
- Ana Marcela (born 1662) married twice.
- Pedro de Santa María (born 1665) was also a sculptor, but with little success in his own right.
Style
Initially taught a naturalistic style, his imagery evolved in the direction of the Baroque, with a personal style as elegant as it was free in its form.Most noted works
- Our Father Jesus Tied to the ColumnFlagellation of ChristThe Flagellation of Christ, sometimes known as Christ at the Column or the Scourging at the Pillar, is a scene from the Passion of Christ very frequently shown in Christian art, in cycles of the Passion or the larger subject of the Life of Christ. It is the fourth station of the modern alternate...
(Nuestro Padre Jesús Amarrado a la Columna), 1675, Parish Church of the Apostle James (Parroquia de Santiago Apóstol), Lucena - Most Holy Christ Tied to the Column (Santísimo Cristo amarrado a la Columna), Church of Saint John the Baptist (Iglesia de San Juan Bautista) La Orotava, TenerifeTenerifeTenerife is the largest and most populous island of the seven Canary Islands, it is also the most populated island of Spain, with a land area of 2,034.38 km² and 906,854 inhabitants, 43% of the total population of the Canary Islands. About five million tourists visit Tenerife each year, the...
. - Sculptural part of the altarpiece of Saint Ann's Church (Iglesia de Santa Ana), MontillaMontillaMontilla a town and municipality of southern Spain, in the province of Córdoba, 32 miles south of the provincial capital, Córdoba, by the Córdoba-Bobadilla railway. , the town had a population of 23,245. The olive oil of the district is abundant and good, and it is the peculiar flavour of the pale...
- Altarpiece of the Descent of the BiscayBiscayBiscay is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Biscay. Its capital city is Bilbao...
ans (El descendimiento de las Vizcaínas, Church of the Sanctuary (Iglesia del Sagrario), Seville. - Altarpiece of the Entombment of ChristEntombment of ChristThe Entombment redirects here. For other uses, The Entombment The Entombment of Christ, that is to say the burial of Jesus Christ, occurred after his death by crucifixion, when, according to the gospel accounts, he was placed in a new tomb belonging to Joseph of Arimathea.-Biblical account:All four...
, Saint GeorgeSaint GeorgeSaint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier from Syria Palaestina and a priest in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic , Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and the Oriental Orthodox...
, Saint Roch, and the Virgin of Charity (Entierro de Cristo, San Jorge, San Roque y Virgen de la Caridad, Hospital de la Caridad, Seville. - Sculptures of the Four EvangelistsFour EvangelistsIn Christian tradition the Four Evangelists are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the authors attributed with the creation of the four Gospel accounts in the New Testament that bear the following titles:*Gospel according to Matthew*Gospel according to Mark...
, the Four Doctors of the ChurchDoctor of the ChurchDoctor of the Church is a title given by a variety of Christian churches to individuals whom they recognize as having been of particular importance, particularly regarding their contribution to theology or doctrine.-Catholic Church:In the Catholic Church, this name is given to a saint from whose...
and Saint FerdinandFerdinand III of CastileSaint Ferdinand III, T.O.S.F., was the King of Castile from 1217 and León from 1230. He was the son of Alfonso IX of León and Berenguela of Castile. Through his second marriage he was also Count of Aumale. He finished the work done by his maternal grandfather Alfonso VIII and consolidated the...
for the façade of the Cathedral of Jaén. - Most Holy Christ of the Expiration (Santísimo cristo de la Expiración) in the Parish Church of Saint James (Iglesia de Santiago), ÉcijaÉcijaÉcija is a city belonging to the province of Seville, Spain. It is located in the Andalusian countryside, 85 km east of the city of Seville. According to the 2008 census, Écija has a total population of 40,100 inhabitants, ranking as the fifth most populous city in the province...
Other documented works
- Archangel Saint Michael, 1657, Church of Saint Vincen, (Iglesia de San Vicente), Seville.
- Reliefs of the PassionPassion (Christianity)The Passion is the Christian theological term used for the events and suffering – physical, spiritual, and mental – of Jesus in the hours before and including his trial and execution by crucifixion...
, 1659, Church of Saint Mary Magdalene, Seville. - Saint FerdinandFerdinand III of CastileSaint Ferdinand III, T.O.S.F., was the King of Castile from 1217 and León from 1230. He was the son of Alfonso IX of León and Berenguela of Castile. Through his second marriage he was also Count of Aumale. He finished the work done by his maternal grandfather Alfonso VIII and consolidated the...
(San Fernando), 1671, Cathedral of Seville. - Saint Ann teaching the Virgin to read (Santa Ana enseñándo a leer a la virgen), 1672, Church of the Holy Cross (Iglesia de Santa Cruz), Seville.
- Saint Ignatius Loyola, 1672, Saint Bartholomew's Parish Church (Parroquia de San Bartolomé), Seville.
- Saint Dionysius, 1673-1674, Church of Saint Francis (Iglesia de San Francisco), Cádiz.
- Saint RemigiusSaint RemigiusSaint Remigius, Remy or Remi, , was Bishop of Reims and Apostle of the Franks, . On 24 December 496 he baptised Clovis I, King of the Franks...
, 1673-1674, Church of Saint Francis (Iglesia de San Francisco), Cádiz. - Saint PeterSaint PeterSaint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
and Saint Paul, 1680, Parish Church of Villamartín (Iglesia parroquial de Villamartín), Cádiz. - The Immaculate ConceptionImmaculate ConceptionThe Immaculate Conception of Mary is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, according to which the Virgin Mary was conceived without any stain of original sin. It is one of the four dogmata in Roman Catholic Mariology...
, 1680, Church of Our Lady of Grace (Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Gracia), Córdoba. - Reliefs of the Passion, 1683-84, Saint Catherine's Church (Iglesia de Santa Catalina), Seville.
- Saint Peter and Saint Ferdinand, 1698, Church of the Hospital de los Venerables (Iglesia de los Venerables), Seville.
- Christ of the Descent (Cristo del Descendimiento), Church of Saint Mary Magdalene, Seville.
- Christ of the Pardon, Church of Santa María la Coronada (Iglesia de Santa María la Coronada), Medina-SidoniaMedina-SidoniaMedina-Sidonia is a city and municipality in the province of Cádiz in the autonomous community of Andalusia, southern Spain. It is considered by some to be the oldest city in Europe, used as a military defense location due to its elevated location. Locals are known as Asidonenses...
(Province of Cádiz)
Other attributed works
- Our Lady of Antigua (Nuestra Señora de la Antigua), 1650-1655, Church of Saint Mary Magdalene (Iglesia de Santa María Magdalena), Seville.
- Santísimo Cristo de las Misericordias. Hermandad de Santa Cruz de Sevilla. The anonymous Christ is dated to 1670-1682 and is attributed to Pedro Roldán or his school.