Baltasar de Echave Orio is another Mexican painter belonging to a strong lineage of painters. Certain reports state that he attained formal training under his father-in-law, the Mexican master Francisco de Zumaya after marrying Isabel de ibia in Mexico. He is the first painter in his direct family later becoming the head of a familial tradition. His son Baltasar de Echave Ibia and grandson Baltasar de Echave Rioja also became celebrated painters in colonial Mexico (New Spain). Echave Orio's style is a blend of Spanish renaissance and Florentine Mannerism, integrating religious Catholic themes common in colonial Mexico at the time. He is one of the pioneering mannerist painters of the period alongside Alonso Lopez de Herrera and Villalpando. La Adoracion de los Reyes or The Adoration of the Kings (also popularly known as The Adoration of the Magi) is his most famous and widely discussed work. The painting narrates the Biblical episode in which the three Magi present gifts to infant Jesus. The composition and colour indicate an European influence which can be understood as something Orio adopted or picked during his training in Spain when he received exposure to Venetian and Flemish models. The forms are yet typical Mannerist forms exhibiting elongated figures and dramatic poses with calm facial expressions. Like other Mannerist painters of the era, he laid the foundation for Mexican Baroque art in the coming centuries while serving as bridge to the Spanish renaissance tradition of the preceding centuries.
the art work is represented finely and with relevant description. And the picture used is clear as well as the location and sources.
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By: JADAV PROWESS ASHOKBHAI
Baltasar de Echave Orio's La Adoración de los Reyes is much more than the scene from the Bible in which the Three Magi bring gifts to the infant Jesus. For me, the painting is a recognition of the authority of God amongst different peoples, cultures and social positions. The Magi are traditionally recognised as wise men or rulers who have come from far away to prostrate themselves before Christ indicating that knowledge, wealth and politics from the world are brought to their knees before the divine.
The composition also shows an interesting cultural exchange. The subject matter was inspired by Christian scripture, and the visual language strongly influenced by European Renaissance and Mannerist styles, was created in colonial Mexico. Where this is done, one can see a symbolic cross-over from the religious culture of Europe and the emerging art identity of New Spain. The picture painting consequently can be interpreted as a devotional image as well as the documentation of the adaptation and modifications of European art forms in a colonial context.
The elongated figures, dramatic poses and gestures create a sense of ceremony and spiritual drama. However, although the figures are in motion, they are still serene, giving the scene a sense of respect. There is a dramatic contrast between the splendor of the Magi and the poverty of the infant Christ which is worth reflecting upon: the material richness and worldly station are looked upon as less significant than spiritual recognition and faith.
The concept of Transitions and Travels is what stands out. The Magi are on the journey of seeking to come to know and when they arrive, seeking becomes knowing. Their act of kneeling can be seen as a cession of certainty, power and privilege to something greater than themselves.
