Portrait of an Ecclesiastical Scribe
Artist
José Campeche y Jordán
(Puerto Rican, 1751 - 1809)
Dateca. 1790
Object number97.2215
Mediumoil on panel
Dimensionsframe: 25 7/8 x 19 1/4 x 2 in. (65.7 x 48.9 x 5.1 cm)
20 1/2 x 11 11/16 x 5/16 in. (52.1 x 29.7 x 0.8 cm)
20 1/2 x 11 11/16 x 5/16 in. (52.1 x 29.7 x 0.8 cm)
ClassificationsPainting
Credit LineMuseo de Arte de Ponce. The Luis A. Ferré Foundation, Inc.
Gift of Nicanor Ferré
Collections
On View
Not on viewDescriptionJosé Campeche’s portraits stand out because of the meticulous representation of the physiognomy and vestments of his characters and their environment. On the other hand, these portraits bear witness to the influence of Luis Paret y Alcázar during his exile in Puerto Rico. The attire and setting in this portrait, whose attribution to Campeche was the result of a rigorous cleaning and conservation process, facilitate the identification the character portrayed. The sitter's green mozzetta, hat, shoes, and gloves indicate that he is an ecclesiastical scholar. Other attributes, such as the quills, inkwells, paper, and books on the table, including the current Spanish legislation, support this identification, as is the library visible in the background. Historical records indicate that until 1791, there were only three lawyers in Puerto Rico, among them only one ecclesiastical scribe named José María Ruiz y Peña. In addition, the fact that Ruiz y Peña was a patron of the artist—he commissioned the central panel of the Virgin of the Carmelite Order with Two Angels triptych in 1807—supports the identification of the sitter. Furthermore, he was the great-grandfather of the person who bequeathed the portrait to the Museo de Arte de Ponce.
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