Las The paintings of Santa María del Águila: Victims of the Unfortunate Events of 1936 and the Manipulations of the Obscure Art Market

Abstract

In the church, later a hermitage and subsequently a sanctuary, of Santa María del Águila in Alcalá de Guadaira (Seville), several paintings existed that met markedly different fates. The panel painting of the Nativity was completely consumed in the deliberate fire of July 1936. A mural painting depicting Saint James and Saint Matthew, severely affected by this fire, was restored and is currently visible at the head of the Epistle wall. Of two long, narrow panel paintings, which were reportedly sold in 1910, the one representing Saint Bartholomew has been recovered. This latter piece was missing from 1987 until 2013, when an antique dealer offered it for sale. Although the Brotherhood of the Virgen del Águila of Alcalá de Guadaira was interested in acquiring it, they were compelled to abandon the purchase due to the manipulations the work had undergone and its high price. After several years, in 2024, the heritage authorities (Patrimonio) acquired it, and it was permanently installed in the Museum of Alcalá de Guadaira. A formal analysis of the characteristics of the three artworks indicates that they are by the same hand, and even allows for the attribution of authorship, a debated point, to Juan Sánchez de Castro.