Description:

Spanish School, 17th c., "Equestrian Portrait of Cardinal Francisco Ximenes de Cisneros (1436-1517)", oil on canvas, unsigned, 94 1/2 in. x 76 1/2 in., unframed; together with Sotheby's Old Master Paintings catalog, Apr. 8, 2003. (2 pcs.). Provenance: Sotheby's London, Apr. 8, 2003, lot 135; Windham Collection, Oxford, MS. Note: Born in 1436, Gonzalo Ximenes de Cisneros became a Spanish statesman, priest, and eventually a Cardinal under the patronage of the monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella. An extreme ascetic, Ximenes de Cisneros was a Franciscan monk. Once he became the head of the Archdiocese of Toledo, a powerful position, he began reforming not only the Franciscan order, but many others as well - rebuking the monks into following their orders of poverty and celibacy. Ximenes de Cisneros' position as confessor to Queen Isabella provided him significant political power as well, and he was responsible for many of the strict rules insisting all Muslims in Spain convert to Christianity or go into exile. In his final years at the Spanish court, he was influential in having Ferdinand’s grandson, Charles V, crowned Holy Roman Emperor, as well as his brother, Ferdinand I, after him. The scene represented here depicts Cardinal Ximenez de Cisneros leading troops into battle, almost certainly referring to the 1509 capture of the city of Oran. After the Spanish gained control of Oran, many of the most prominent mosques were consecrated as churches, hospitals, or convents, in accordance with the Catholic Church’s and Spain’s policies at the time.

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April 13, 2019 10:00 AM CDT
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