Vasco de la Zarza (died 1524) was a Spanish Renaissance sculptor. He flourished between 1499 and 1524, and worked mainly for the
Cathedral of Avila and convents of the same city, but also performed works in
Ampudia
Ampudia is a municipality located in the province of Palencia, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census (INE
INE, Ine or ine may refer to:
Institutions
* Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung, a German nuclear research center
* In ...
,
Cuéllar
Cuéllar () is a municipality in the Province of Segovia, within the autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain.
The municipality had a population of 9,730 inhabitants according to the municipal register of inhabitants (INE) as of 1 Janu ...
,
Olmedo and
Toledo.
Early career
Vasco de la Zarza may have been born in Toledo, although others have considered him of
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
origin. He is first mentioned in 1499, when he was charged with the size of the tabernacle altar of the
Ávila Cathedral
The Cathedral of the Saviour ( es, Catedral de Cristo Salvador) is a Catholic church in Ávila in the south of Old Castile, Spain. It was built in the late Romanesque and Gothic architectural traditions.
It was planned as a cathedral-fortress, ...
, which he completed in 1508. His work shows influences of
Domenico Fancelli. He is believed to have taken a trip to Italy in his youth, which would have enabled contact with Italian Renaissance art, which is seen as an influence in his style.
Works
His most important work is the tomb with Alonso Fernandez de Madrigal (1518) made of
alabaster
Alabaster is a mineral or rock that is soft, often used for carving, and is processed for plaster powder. Archaeologists and the stone processing industry use the word differently from geologists. The former use it in a wider sense that includes ...
. Alonso de Madrigal, a leading
humanist
Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and agency of human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry.
The meaning of the term "humani ...
, is represented in the act of writing on a lectern. At the base of the sculpture are represented virtues and over, on a large circular relief, the
Adoration of the Magi
The Adoration of the Magi or Adoration of the Kings is the name traditionally given to the subject in the Nativity of Jesus in art in which the three Magi, represented as kings, especially in the West, having found Jesus by following a star, ...
. Above, on the frieze shows the cavalcade of the Magi and, topping the composition, the
Nativity. In the four side panels, framed by richly ornate and simple cover, the four evangelists in the act of writing, there are over roundels with representations of saints and, above them, several scenes from the life of
Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...
. His latest work documented in
Ávila
Ávila (, , ) is a city of Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the Province of Ávila.
It lies on the right bank of the Adaja river. Located more than 1,130 m abov ...
in 1522, is the tabernacle of the main altar, carved in alabaster, with scenes of
the Passion. He also attributed the tomb of Hernán Núñez de Arnalte, treasurer of the Catholic Monarchs, Santo Tomas de Avila and many other works in Ávila and other nearby locations.
In the province of Segovia he completed tombs for
Beltrán de la Cueva, 1st Duke of Alburquerque
Beltrán de la Cueva y Alfonso de Mercado, 1st Duke of Alburquerque (c. 1443 – 1 November 1492) was a Spanish nobleman who is said to have fathered Joanna, the daughter of Henry IV of Castile's wife Joan of Portugal. His alleged daughter, calle ...
, his three wives and his brother, in the church of the monastery of San Francisco de
Cuéllar
Cuéllar () is a municipality in the Province of Segovia, within the autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain.
The municipality had a population of 9,730 inhabitants according to the municipal register of inhabitants (INE) as of 1 Janu ...
. In the
Toledo Cathedral
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, image = Toledo Cathedral, from Plaza del Ayuntamiento.jpg
, imagesize = 300px
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in 1515 he carved the tombs of
Alonso Carrillo de Albornoz and Inigo Lopez Carrillo de Mendoza, in the chapel of
San Ildefonso
San Ildefonso (), La Granja (), or La Granja de San Ildefonso, is a town and municipality in the Province of Segovia, in the Castile and León autonomous region of central Spain.
It is located in the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama mounta ...
. In the province of
Valladolid
Valladolid () is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and de facto capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the province o ...
with
Alonso Berruguete
Alonso González de Berruguete (Alonso Berruguete) (c. 1488 – 1561) was a Spanish painter, sculptor and architect. He is considered to be the most important sculptor of the Spanish Renaissance, and is known for his emotive sculptures depict ...
he conducted in 1523 the altarpiece of the chapel of the monastery at
Olmedo, Valladolid
Olmedo is a municipality in the province of Valladolid, Spain. The Mudéjar theme park is located here.
History
Museums
* Palacio Caballero de Olmedo.
* Parque temático del Mudéjar de Castilla y León.
Transport
Olmedo is on the N-601 road ...
.
References
* Jose Camon Aznar. Sculpture and sixteenth-century Spanish ironwork. Summa Artis. General history of art. Vol XVIII. Espasa Calpe, Madrid 1961.
* Azcarate, José María de. History of Art in storyboards. Editorial E.P.E.S.A.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zarza, Vasco de la
Year of birth unknown
1524 deaths
16th-century Spanish sculptors
Spanish male sculptors