Alonso de Quintanilla (act. 1760-1785) - La Inmaculada Concepción

“Immaculate Conception” Alonso de Quintanilla, Escuela de Cuéllar, Baroque, late 18th c. – Cuéllar, Spain

Published in: Martín Gil, F. J., Martín Gil, J., & Martín Ramos, C. (2014). A painting about the Immaculate Conception, unpublished work by the Cuéllar painter Alonso de Quintanilla: A brief monograph of LICOPCYL (Laboratorio de Investigaciones sobre Conservación del Patrimonio de Castilla y León).


Medium on support: Oil on canvas
Title of the work: “The Immaculate Conception”
Artist: Alonso de Quintanilla, Cuéllar School
Signed in the lower right corner
Style: Baroque
Genre: Religious
Period: Late 18th century, around the 1780s
Country of origin: Cuéllar, Spain
Provenance: Private collection
Good condition considering its age and use
Overall dimensions: 53.5 x 48 x 1 cm
Dimensions without frame: 45 x 40 cm

Spectrum: An impressive dark-brown oil on canvas by the painter Alonso de Quintanilla, successor to Nicolás de Quintanilla, dating from around the 1780s (late 18th century). It is a version carried out by the Cuéllar School, closely following Madrid models, such as Antonio Palomino y Velasco’s Immaculate Conception, presently in the Prado Museum.

This work was commissioned by Dr. D. Domingo Cuesta Muriel, parish priest of San Miguel in the town of Cuéllar and Rector of the Real Seminary Conciliar de San Frutos y San Ildefonso, for the Ilustrísima Señor D. Alonso Marcos de Llanes y Argüelles, bishop of Segovia, as a token of thanks for favors received. On the left margin of the canvas one can see the recipient of the work, while on the right there is an invitation to recite an Ave Maria (or Salve), and at the bottom the unmistakable signature of Quintanilla Fecit (he did it). The piece displays classical features of the Immaculate Conception theme, as seen in the opulent robes with ample folds enveloping Mary, and in the presence of several groups of angels both to the sides of her head and fluttering at her feet, creating a scene of great dynamism and visual balance.

Chromatically, whites and blues predominate, though warm tones can be seen in the angels’ blushes and the fabrics covering them. It is a highly detailed work, with drawing predominating over color, depicting very expressive faces that contrast with the noble countenance of Mary. Other details include the central brooch adorning the Virgin’s chest, the chiaroscuro of the clouds, or the flowers held by the angels at Mary’s feet.

Alonso de Quintanilla, author of this work, maintained his artistic production between 1760 and 1785, so we can affirm that this is one of his latest pieces, although he mainly worked as a portraitist of bishops, to such an extent that in the city of Valladolid there are several portraits by him. In the parish church of Santiago de Cigales there is a 1772 painting depicting Fray Antonio Alcalde, bishop of Yucatán, and in the Museo Nacional de Escultura Policromada (also in Valladolid), a portrait of that bishop dated 1761 alongside a portrait of P. Ángel de Molinos, bishop of Zamora dated around 1776.

Alonso hails from Cuéllar as one of the outstanding painters, though among many other artists his predecessor Nicolás de Quintanilla is also notable, whose career spans 1717–1735, working with artists such as Francisco Cámara in 1733 on the frames of the altarpiece of the church of San Sebastián de Villacastín.

The so-called Cuéllar School (or Escuela Cuellarana) of Sculpture and Painting was an important artistic hub located in the town of Cuéllar, Segovia, thriving in the 16th and 17th centuries, focusing on religious art such as altars, sculptures, or paintings, shaping both local and foreign artists, with a high-quality, distinctive Baroque style that blended external and Castilian influences.

Martín Gil, F. J., Martín Gil, J., & Martín Ramos, C. (2014). A painting about the Immaculate Conception, unpublished work by the Cuéllar painter Alonso de Quintanilla: A brief monograph of LICOPCYL (Laboratorio de Investigaciones sobre Conservación del Patrimonio de Castilla y León).

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