The Gallery presents the restoration of Luisa Roldán’s masterpiece, the first woman sculptor at the Spanish Court.

This Tuesday, Patrimonio Nacional presented within the framework of the Women's Week, the restoration of the masterpiece by Luisa Roldán or La Roldana, as she was called, a key figure of the Baroque period and the first woman sculptor at the Spanish Court. This large sculpture is entitled “The Archangel Michael Vanquishing the Devil” (1692) and it has already been installed onsite where it will be on display from this summer onwards, when the Royal Collections Gallery opens its doors within the Historical Complex of the Royal Palace of Madrid.

Regarding La Roldana (Seville, 1652 - Madrid, 1706), the Director of the Royal Collections Gallery, Leticia Ruiz, said that "she was a pioneering figure at a time when women had no recognition" and that "now, thanks to the Gallery, we are giving her back the glory that she deserves". Ruiz also highlighted the artist's technical virtuosity and expressiveness in the figure’s faces and hands, without forgetting the polychromy and the contrast of colours as "a foretaste of the later Rococo style".

After its restoration in the workshops of the Royal Palace in Madrid, the sculpture has been installed by Patrimonio Nacional on Floor A of the Gallery. It is 2.64 metres high and weighs 157.5 kg. The transfer required the combined efforts of over 20 persons, in a precise operation involving a protective cage and a telescopic crane to lower the artwork from the workshops on the fourth floor of the Palace. "It’s been one of our most exciting transfers, witnessing the archangel make his final flight to the Gallery," said Leticia Ruiz, Director of the Royal Collections.

Secrets revealed in the restoration

The restoration carried out by Ana Loureiro at Patrimonio Nacional has not only restored the original appearance of the carving, but also revealed some of the artist's own hallmarks, which make the work a privileged testament to her career. Of these inscriptions, the one on the pedestal is especially noteworthy. In it, exceptionally for her time, La Roldana declares her status as Chamber Sculptor of the Court: “BY ORDER OF HIS MAJESTY, KING CHARLES II, LUISA ROLDAN, CHAMBER SCULPTOR TO HIS MAJESTY”.

In this long restoration process, Loureiro has repaired the cracks and removed the repainted layer, especially on the face and hands, "giving the piece back its expressiveness, which is one of the hallmarks of La Roldana". The last steps involved the chromatic reintegration and final protection of the piece. X-rays have revealed that the devil's horns were not original, thus they have been replaced with new pieces designed according to old photographs, in order to recover its 1692 appearance.

La Roldana, the first female Court Sculptor and first female artist in the Gallery

“The Archangel Michael Vanquishing the Devil” is the first sculpture and work by a female artist exhibited by Patrimonio Nacional in the Royal Collections Gallery prior to its opening in the summer of 2023. The institution thus celebrates the inclusion of La Roldana and her work among the 650 objects included in the permanent exhibition of the new museum. Previously presented artworks include the painting “Salome with the Head of John the Baptist” (Caravaggio, 1607), the chest of drawers of Charles III (Gasparini, 1764-74) and the columns of the former Hospital de Montserrat (Churriguera, 1674-78).

Luisa Roldán (Seville, 1652 - Madrid, 1706), better known as La Roldana, trained at the workshop of her father, the sculptor Pedro Roldán. At a time when women were not allowed to sign their own contracts, La Roldana made history by being the first woman to be made Chamber Sculptor at the Spanish Court. A title which she received from Charles II for precisely for this sculpture and which she retained with the change of dynasty when Philip V ascended the throne. On the day of her death, she was recognised by the Accademia di San Luca.