Rafael Borja - El Pan de Madame Montpensier (París, 1590)

Lot Description Artist: Rafael Borja Title of the work: The Bread of Madame Montpensier Medium: Professional acrylic and satin varnish on 100% linen canvas Support: Mounted on wooden stretcher (ready to hang) Dimensions: 135 x 45 x 3 cm Signature: Hand-signed by the author (Rafael Borja) on the back. Condition: Excellent condition, original work directly from the artist's workshop. Certificate of Authenticity (COA): Included and signed by the artist. Artistic and Historical Description: The Bread of Madame Montpensier is a staggering, detailed historical-narrative interpretation focused on one of the darkest moments of the French Wars of Religion: the dramatic Siege of Paris in 1590. The composition painfully juxtaposes aristocratic opulence and coldness against the despair of the hungry population. On the left, the Duchess of Montpensier observes the scene with impassivity, flanked by a real, intact loaf of bread. In the center and right, desperate figures grind human bones brought from the Cemetery of the Holy Innocents to produce the tragic mass historically known as the “Bread of Madame de Montpensier.” Created with a refined technique of acrylic on 100% linen and finished with a protective varnish, the work stands out for a masterful use of chiaroscuro inspired by Baroque art, where dramatic light shapes the anatomy, the expressions of despair, and period costumes. An exceptional panoramic format of 135 x 45 cm that adds a cinematic theatricality to the painting.

Estimate:$674.23

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