Andrés Amaya

Nothing is known about Amaya's origins and background, and little about his life and career. One modern Spanish source describes his life and activity as cubierta por una enorme bruma ("covered by an enormous mist").{{cite web |url=http://artevalladolid.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/la-pintura-barroca-en-valladolid-entre.html |title=La pintura barroca en Valladolid entre 1665-1750 |website=artevalladolid.blogspot.co.uk |language=Spanish |date=5 May 2017 |accessdate=10 September 2017}} The best that can be said is, that the surname "Amaya" is associated with the small village of Amaya in Burgos, Castile and León. Few of his paintings are dated, which makes it difficult to establish a chronology. Most of his works are on religious subjects, but he is said to have also painted portraits. His surviving works are scattered in and around Valladolid.

According to Spanish art historian Juan Agustín Ceán Bermúdez (1749-1829), Amaya was a disciple of Vicente Carducho (1576/78–1638). Amaya cannot have been Carducho's pupil, because their dates do not overlap. It is possible that Amaya knew or was influenced by later Spanish painters of the Madrid high Baroque school, such as {{ill|José Moreno (artist)|lt=José Moreno|es|José Moreno (pintor)}} (after 1630 - 1677) and Francisco de Solís ({{circa|1620/1625}} - 1684), and the court painters of the time. He has also been said to have been influenced by Alonzo Cano (1601-1667).

In 1687, Valladolid painter Amaro Alonso de Llanos (Amaro Alonso Méndez, 1640–1699) married Damiana Jalón y Gallo, widow of the painter Juan Sanz. Amaya was one of the witnesses. That is one of the very few contemporary records of Amaya's existence.

His wife was Isabel ({{nee|Lozano}}). They lived "outside the Puerta del Campo"; that is, roughly in the area of the modern {{ill|Plaza de Zorrilla|es}} in Valladolid. Amaya died on 29 October 1704. The Valladolid painter Ignacio de Prado was his pupil; Amaya's widow called Ignacio "una persona de mi cariño y de que tengo entera satisfacción" ("a person in my affection and in whom I have complete satisfaction").

Ceán Bermúdez said of Amaya, "tienen mejor gusto de color que correccion en el dibuxo" ("he had better taste in colour than in correctness of drawing"). The one authority cited by Ceán Bermúdez was Antonio Ponz (1725–1792), who may only have known Amaya's altarpiece at {{ill|Iglesia de San Martín, Segovia|es|Iglesia de San Martín (Segovia)}}. Spanish art historian Alfonso Pérez Sánchez (1935-2010) had a more generous opinion.{{cite book |first=Alfonso |last=Pérez Sánchez |title=Pintura Barroca en España 1600-1750 |publisher={{ill|Ediciones Cátedra|es}} |location=Madrid| year=1992 |page=347 |language=Spanish |isbn=84-376-0994-1}} By Alfonso Pérez Sánchez So had the anonymous author who wrote for the National Museum of Sculpture, Valladolid in 2001, "Fue artista bien preparada para la composición, mostrando gran habilidad en la angrupación y relación de las figuras" ("He was a masterful artist in composition, showing great skill in the grouping and relationship of people").

These works have been attributed to Amaya:

• 1682{{snd}}Pinturas del retablo mayor ("paintings at the main altar"), {{ill|Iglesia de San Martín, Segovia|es|Iglesia de San Martín (Segovia)}} {{cite book |url=https://archive.org/stream/diccionariohisto01cean#page/26/ |first=Juan Agustín |last=Ceán Bermúdez |authorlink=Juan Agustín Ceán Bermúdez |year=1800 |title=Diccionario historico de los mas ilustres profesores de las Bellas Artes en España |volume=1 |page=26 |language=Spanish |accessdate=11 September 2017}}
• 1693{{snd}}San Francisco y Santa Teresa ("St Francis and St Teresa"), {{ill|Iglesia Penitencial de la Vera Cruz, Valladolid|es|Iglesia de la Santa Vera Cruz (Valladolid)}}
• {{circa|1667-1700}}{{snd}}La Virgen apareciéndose a Fernando III el Santo ("The Virgin appears to Fernando III the Saint"), National Museum of Sculpture, Valladolid{{cite web |url=http://ceres.mcu.es/pages/ResultSearch?txtSimpleSearch=La%20Virgen%20apareci%E9ndose%20a%20Fernando%20III%20el%20Santo&simpleSearch=0&hipertextSearch=1&search=simpleSelection&MuseumsSearch=MNEV%7C&MuseumsRolSearch=15&listaMuseos=[Museo%20Nacional%20de%20Escultura |title=La Virgen apareciéndose a Fernando III el Santo |website=Red Digital de Colecciones de Museos de España |language=Spanish |accessdate=11 September 2017}}
• Last third of 17th century{{snd}}Apparizione della Vergine ad un domenicano di Soriano ("The Virgin appears to a Dominican in Soriano"), National Museum of Sculpture, {{nobreak|Valladolid {{cite web |url=http://www.scuolaecclesiamater.org/2014/09/p-cavalcoli-rincara-la-dose-sulla.html?m=1 |website=Scuola Ecclesia Mater |title=P. Cavalcoli rincara la dose sulla misericordia del cardinale Kasper |language=Italian |first=Giovanni |last=Cavalcoli |date=25 September 2015 |accessdate=10 September 2017}}}}
• {{circa|1693}}{{snd}}Sagrada Familia ("The Holy Family"), Iglesia Penitencial de la Vera Cruz, Valladolid
• {{circa|1700}}{{snd}}San Joaquín ("St Joachim"), {{ill|Iglesia de San Pedro, Valladolid|es|Iglesia de San Pedro Apóstol (Valladolid)}}
• Unknown date{{snd}}San José con el Niño ("Saint Joseph and the Christ Child"), Valladolid Cathedral{{cite web |url=http://en.calameo.com/read/001387706123702858415 |title=Pintura del Museo Nacional de Escultura, Siglos XV al XVIII |volume=II |website={{ill|Calaméo|fr}} |author=National Museum of Sculpture, Valladolid |others={{ill|NIPO (number)|lt=NIPO|es|NIPO}} 176-01-202-1 |year=2001 |pages=81–85 |accessdate=11 September 2017|author-link=National Museum of Sculpture, Valladolid }}It is unclear whether the paintings in Valladolid Cathedral and the National Museum are the same or different.
• Unknown date{{snd}}San José con el Niño ("St Joseph and the Christ Child"), National Museum of Sculpture, Valladolid
• Unknown date{{snd}}Serie de lienzos sobre la vida de San Juan Bautista ("series of paintings on the life of St John the Baptist"), Basílica de San Isidoro, León
• Unknown date{{snd}}unknown subject, {{ill|Iglesia de San Miguel, Palencia|es|Iglesia de San Miguel (Palencia)}}
• Unknown date{{snd}}unknown subject,The corresponding article in Spanish Wikipedia says Desposorios místicos de santa Gertrudis y san Antonio Abad ("The mystical betrothals of Saint Gertrude and Saint Anthony Abbot"), but does not cite any source. San Millán de la Cogolla
• Unknown date{{snd}}unknown subject, Toro, Zamora
• Unknown date{{snd}}unknown subject, Villafranca del Bierzo

{{Commons category|Andrés Amaya}}

File:Virgen apareciéndose a Fernando III el Santo.jpg|La Virgen apareciéndose a Fernando III el Santo ({{circa|1667-1700}})

File:Andres amaya-santo domingo en soriano.JPG|Apparizione della Vergine ad un domenicano di Soriano (last third of 17th century)

File:Amaya-san jose.JPG|San José con el Niño ({{circa|1680-1700}}), National Museum of Sculpture

File:San Francisco y Santa Teresa (Amaya).jpeg|San Francisco y Santa Teresa (1693)

File:Sagrada Familia (Amaya).jpeg|Sagrada Familia ({{circa|1693}})

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Category:Year of birth unknown

Category:Place of birth unknown

Category:1704 deaths

Category:People from Valladolid

Category:17th-century Spanish painters

Category:Spanish male painters

Category:Painters from Castile and León

Category:Spanish Baroque painters

Category:Religious painters