Attributed to Pellegrino Tibaldi (Puria, 1527 -Milán, 1596) Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence. Oil on panel. 98 x 77 cm. ...

Attributed to Pellegrino Tibaldi (Puria, 1527 -Milán, 1596) Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence. Oil on panel. 98 x 77 cm. Pellegrino Tibaldi also known as Pellegrino da Bologna or Pellegrinus de Pellegrinis, disciple of Bagnacavallo. He worked in the Escorial in 1587. Upon his arrival, he was commissioned to make some paintings for the altarpiece of the main altar. These works were commissioned from Federico Zuccaro, but the final result was not to the liking of Felipe II, so they are commissioned from Pellegrino Tibaldi. Previously the work of the Martyrdom of San Lorenzo was commissioned to Titian, but finally the work ended up placed in the Old Chapel of El Escorial, where it has remained until today. This painting did not become part of the main altar because the painting, within the framework of the last pictorial stage of the moment, did not represent well the Trentine and modest ideas that were required for a place that was going to be accessed by all kinds of public. For this reason, it was decided to commission Pellegrino Tibaldi a reinterpretation of some of those works, which were the ones that finally formed part of the great altarpiece. The work that we analyze represents the Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence, although with differences with respect to the painting that was finally placed on the main altarpiece. In this case, the reference to the Martyrdom performed by Titian is clear. It seems like a personal reinterpretation of this work by the artist, it could even serve as the first version that we currently enjoy at El Escorial.