Pere Crusells was born in Barcelona in 1672. Son of Miquel Crusells, shoemaker and Magdalena. His formation starts in 1689 at the workshop of the painter Josep Vives. He is accepted as master at the Painters College in 1704. He was contemporary with other artists as Onofre Casanoves, Bru Tramulles or Antoni Viladomat, even though there is no information about his relationship with the previous one or the foreign artists who came to Barcelona with Archduke Charles.
It is considered that his workshop worked in three different fields. First of all, the religious paintings for parishes, convents and other religious organisations. In second place, the portraits, of whom we know about thanks to his Portrait of a Lady with Diana’s symbols in the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, sign and dated 1725. Finally, the third subject was the miniature paintings of portraits that were the more prestigious specialization of the workshop. Of them, the Museu d’Història de la Ciutat de Barcelona has preserved the Portrait of Archiduke Charls, which dates back to 1708 and has a tiny size of 3.5×2.8 cm, and the work we will talk about, the Flagellation of Christ. This was his final work, which was both delicate and precious, and it is believed to have caused him the blindness he soffered.
The Flagellation of Christ, is the only religious work preserved from the miniature painting typology. It is a copper panel (28×22 cm) with an elliptic form, that is, in addition, the only signed work of the Museu del Barroc, and it can be found at Jesus’ feet with the inscription “P. Crusells”. It was acquired by the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya in 1992.
The artwork shows a scene of the Passion cycle, where Jesus is being flagellated by Pilate’s soldiers, moments before being crowned with the crown of thorns. The scene is set in the Praetorium, that is represented in the background with an architecture shaped by a rich gateway hide behind some curtains. At the center of the composition the short column to which he is attached with ropes, almost nude, with the body twisted and looking to the sky, where there are some cherub angels crying disconsolately. At the same time, two soldiers are hitting his back. One of them carries faggot of sticks, and wears as Hercules, with the lion skin, and the second, that wears an armour and a helmet, hits Christ with a whip. The character on the right is illustrating what will happen by making the crown of thorns that will be placed on Jesus head. On the ground, there are sticks that fell from the executioner’s faggot due to the strength of the hits.
According to Bosch I Ballbona, the work all in all have a lot of artistic references of the French culture of the end of the XVII century and the first decades of the XVIII. Because of it, is inevitable to think that Crusells followed a model chosen among through the French front that he had at his disposal. Specially, the author identifies that Crusells had as model an engraved of the french Jean Audran that had as referent a painting by Antoine Dieu.
The painter’s signature denotes the pride he felt for his work, that he was an artist with self-esteem and that used the commissions to value his art. This artwork that is unique because of its format and stands out for the brief amount of conserved works by this painter, and this allows us to recall the creative ways of Catalan art of the XVIII century and its relationship with French painting from the end of the XVII century and the first years of the XVIII century.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Bosch i Ballbona, Joan (1994). Retrobament amb Pere Crusells (1672-cap a 1742): la placa de la Flagel·lació de Crist, Butlletí MNAC, 2, Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya.
Fontbona, Francesc (1995). Pere Crusells i la Vinguda de l’Esperit Sant, Butlletí de la Reial Academia de Belles Arts de Sant Jordi, IX.
