Page 220 - The mystery of faith

Fig. 2a 1606, twenty days after Fernández was engaged to produce
Fig. 2b the sculptural decoration, with the assistance of Diego de
Basoco and Juan de Muniátegui, who would work with
Fernández to ensure the work’s completion.5 It is indeed
unfortunate that this contract is in fact the only concrete
evidence we have for this altarpiece because, if it now
existed, it would be a valuable key to understanding
Fernández’ chronology and stylistic development, as well as
providing examples to compare with attributed works.

Nevertheless, we do know that Fernández used the same
figure types as the present sculptures, with slight iconographic
changes, in two figures for the Villaveta altarpiece, which was
completed around 1610 (Figs. 1a, b, c).6 One of these works,
King David (Figs. 2a, b), is in the same pose as the exhibited
Moses, but resting upon a harp instead of the tablets of the
Commandments. Conversely, the figure of Moses in Villaveta
(Figs. 3a, b) stands in the same pose as our Elijah, but with
the head veiled by his mantle and his arms extended and
raised to gather the holy tablets, rather than Elijah’s bunched
and twisted mantle.7

The stylistic and formal characteristics shared by both the
present works and the sculptures from Villaveta correspond
to those in written contemporary accounts of Fernández’
work. Moreover, we know that Fernández apparently
produced all of this type of altarpiece sculptures between
1606 and 1612 (excluding his work on the main altarpiece
of Plasencia Cathedral, which was executed between 1625
and 1632).8 Bearing all this in mind, we can now argue,
with reasonable certainty, in favour of a date between 1610
and 1612 for the Moses and Elijah here exhibited.
Moreover, the polychrome, while not executed by the
sculptor himself, as is the case in all his sculptures, is
contemporary to the facture in both works, and is
consistent with similar pieces from Fernández’ early period
in which the use of gold predominates, with blue, red and
ochre floral motifs, and is complemented by the pinkish
glazes used in the hands and faces.

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