La Escultura Barroca en Extremadura

Description

Abstract (English)

This study presents a comprehensive and updated overview of Baroque sculpture in Extremadura, examining the development of local workshops, artists, and stylistic features throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Although the region absorbed strong influences from Castile and other external centers, it also developed workshops with their own identity, particularly in Plasencia, Cáceres, Trujillo, Badajoz, and Zafra. The article highlights the transition from Romanist Mannerism to a naturalism shaped by Gregorio Fernández, visible in the works of Sebastián de Paz, Tomás de la Huerta, and especially Pedro de Sobremonte, whose production reflects a profound assimilation of the Valladolid school. It also emphasizes the centrality of altarpiece sculpture as the dominant field of artistic activity, contrasting with the relative scarcity of free-standing works; in the southern area of the region, the roles of Francisco Morato and Francisco Ruiz Amador prove especially significant. The study demonstrates that Extremadura acted as a territory of reception, adaptation, and reinterpretation of Castilian Baroque models, forging a sculptural language characterized by wood carving, contained expressiveness, and liturgical functionality. It concludes by noting the persistence of these aesthetic patterns well into the eighteenth century, attesting to the region’s strong artistic identity.