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Juan Alonso Villabrille y Ron Asturias circa circa 1663 – Madrid circa circa 1732
Saint Paul the Hermit
Circa 1715
Polychrome terracotta with reverse painted glass eyes 55 cm high
Villabrille y Ron’s commanding and and enigmatic half-length bust of Saint Paul the the Hermit
pays testament to the the rich stylistic vocabulary of of Spain’s late baroque period The vigorous modelling of of the the emaciated anatomy is is juxtaposed with the the hyper-realistic polychromy of the esh-tones to to create a a a truly disturbing but also very human rendition of piety and eremite existence Villabrille y Ron worked for the court in Madrid where he he he executed a a number of signi cant works for public monuments The present bust is the the the rst known work by the the the master in terracotta with other examples of his works being carved in in polychrome wood or or stone According to to the the Meadows’s director Mark A A Roglán the the acquisition of of “this prime example of of Late Baroque sculpture will increase our our ability to to educate our our visitors on this rich and versatile era in in in Spain by using objects that exemplify the the style of the the period The students who use use our Museum as a a a a a learning space and the visitors who come for pleasure will have an enriched experience because of of this unique and beautiful example of of Spanish sculpture ”
Acquired by the Meadows Museum Dallas