He National Museum of Sculpturea state museum dependent on the Ministry of Culture, based in Valladolid, plans to open the exhibition next November ‘Luisa Roldán. Royal Sculptor.
This “great” retrospective dedicated to Luisa Roldán (Seville, 1652-Madrid, 1706) will become the first monographic exhibition that the institution dedicates to a woman artist, says the center through a statement. Luis Roldán or La Roldana is considered the first Spanish woman sculptor.
The exhibition will be curated by Miguel Angel Marcoscurator of the National Museum of Sculpture, and Pablo Amadorresearcher at the UNAM Aesthetic Research Institute (Mexico).
They will propose a transversal discourse that tries to reflect the artistic and social context in which Luisa Roldán developed her prolific career, from his training stage in the Sevillian areauntil the success achieved at the Madrid court as Royal Sculptor, a position she held for two different monarchs belonging to different dynasties: Charles II and Philip V.
The works of the Sevillian artist will thus appear accompanied by productions by prominent artists of the moment, in the form of paintings, prints, drawings, books or documents. But sculptures made by notable figures such as Pedro Roldanhis father and teacher, Jose de Mora either Pedro de Menaamong others, details the information.
The exhibition tour also alludes to other aspects, such as the changing estimation that Luisa Roldán has had in the historiography of the last two centuries, reaching fundamental importance today. Precisely, this “very positive” assessment explains the diverse origin and provenance of the works that will be part of this exhibition, in which preparation a large number of institutions collaborateboth publicly and privately owned, from museum institutions to churches and private collections.
Among others, the National Museum of Sculpture has requested the Cathedral Chapter of Cádiz to loan the sculptures of the city’s patron saints, Saint Servand and Saint German. They are the images that are currently venerated in his chapels in the Cathedral of Cadiz and two of his masterpieces that stand out for their beauty and devotion. These sculptures, created by the skillful hand of Luisa Roldán, are eloquent examples of her technical skill and her ability to capture the spiritual essence of her subjects.
Saint Servand and Saint German
Alexander Moreno
The exhibition will also constitute an opportunity to learn about the author’s works that are part of the collections of the National Museum of Sculpture and that, until now, had not been exhibited.
In addition, you will see recent and interesting acquisitions, but also pieces that have been restored in the museum itself and are now exhibited for the first time, such as the imposing set of the ‘‘Cavalcade of the Three Wise Men’, whose complete presentation will be one of the main attractions of this exhibition.
Cultural programming
As usual, the exhibition will be accompanied by a varied and attractive cultural program, designed to bring the figure of Luisa Roldán closer to all audiences. Likewise, the publication of a scientific catalog which will address the review of his life and work, as well as the influences received from various contemporary artists, the statement adds.
Multiple specialists will participate in its preparation. It will also be edited Elena Amat’s doctoral thesis, the first dedicated exclusively to Luisa Roldán. It is a document written in 1927 and still unpublished, which will highlight both the sculptor and her scholar, both pioneers.
