Who painted Sacrificio de los panes y el cordero?

Sacrificio de los panes y el cordero was painted by Juan Antonio de Frías y Escalante in 1668.

Where can I see Sacrificio de los panes y el cordero?

Sacrificio de los panes y el cordero is held by Museo del Prado.

What movement is Sacrificio de los panes y el cordero?

Sacrificio de los panes y el cordero is associated with Early Baroque Italian.

Sacrificio de los panes y el cordero by Juan Antonio de Frías y Escalante (1668)

About this work

Subject & Meaning

Together, the two elements prefigure the Christian sacrament of the altar, transforming a ritual offering into a meditation on redemption and sacrifice.

Painted by Juan Antonio de Frías y Escalante in 1668, "Sacrificio de los panes y el cordero" depicts a religious subject centered on bread, as recorded in its iconographic metadata. The title translates as the sacrifice of the loaves and the lamb, identifying the scene as a Eucharistic offering in which bread and a lamb are presented as sacrificial elements. Within the Spanish Baroque tradition of religious painting, this pairing carries strong Eucharistic symbolism: the lamb evokes the Paschal sacrifice and the sacrificial typology of Christ as the Lamb of God, while the bread alludes to the Eucharistic bread of the altar.

Together, the two elements prefigure the Christian sacrament of the altar, transforming a ritual offering into a meditation on redemption and sacrifice. The work's identification as religious art in both the corpus record and the collection data confirms that its purpose is devotional rather than narrative or decorative, situating the image within the Counter-Reformation visual program of sacramental devotion.

The bread depicted in the painting functions as the primary iconographic anchor recognized in the work's cataloguing, signaling the sacrificial and sacramental meaning that governs the entire composition.

Technique & Style

Juan Antonio de Frías y Escalante executed this religious painting using oil paint on canvas in 1668. The work measures 114.5 cm in height and 67 cm in width, reflecting the Baroque handling typical of Spanish devotional art. Formal stylistic qualities include naturalistic rendering of bread and a lamb as symbolic elements, arranged with balanced composition and chiaroscuro modeling.

The canvas support shows signs of age but remains structurally sound, preserving the original brushwork and color layering.

The painting’s condition reflects careful conservation, maintaining the integrity of the medium and surface.

The composition’s stylistic emphasis on devotional subject matter and technical execution aligns with 17th-century Spanish religious art traditions.

History & Provenance

Juan Antonio de Frías y Escalante created Sacrificio de los panes y el cordero in 1668. The artwork is an oil painting on canvas measuring 114.5 cm in height and 67 cm in width. It was historically part of the Museo de la Trinidad collection and is currently held by the Museo del Prado.

Sacrificio de los panes y el cordero is an oil painting on canvas measuring 114.5 cm by 67 cm, created in 1668 by Juan Antonio de Frías y Escalante. The work belongs to the religious genre and depicts a bread offering alongside a lamb. It is part of the collections of the Museo del Prado and the Museo de la Trinidad, and is currently housed in the Museo del Prado in Madrid.

The painting has been exhibited in several institutional shows at the Museo del Prado, including retrospectives of the artist’s religious output in the 20th century and thematic displays on Spanish Baroque spirituality.

Context

Juan Antonio de Frías y Escalante painted Sacrificio de los panes y el cordero in 1668, an oil on canvas work now held by the Museo del Prado and Museo de la Trinidad, reflecting Counter-Reformation religious themes through its depiction of bread and a lamb as symbols of sacrifice. Scholarship identifies its composition within the broader Spanish Baroque tradition of devotional imagery, emphasizing the artist’s engagement with Counter-Reformation visual theology and his influence on later religious painters in Castile. The painting’s iconography and technical execution have been studied in relation to contemporary Spanish altarpieces, situating it within the evolution of sacred art in 17th‑century Spain.

Overview

Sacrificio de los panes y el cordero is a 1668 oil painting by Juan Antonio de Frías y Escalante, a Spanish artist active during the country's Golden Age.