Bernardo de Legarda (c. 1700 – 1 June 1773) was one of the most important artists of the
Quito School movement.[1]
Biography
Legarda was a
mestizo artist and the one who best personified the art of sculpture in the capital of
Quito during his period. His first artwork dated from 1731 when he restored an image of
Saint Luke in the
Church of Santo Domingo, after which he was much in demand. In 1732 he was commissioned to do a sculpture of the
Immaculate Conception for the
Church of San Francisco. This work, which became known as the Virgin of Quito (1734), met with great approval and countless copies and imitations were made throughout the
Royal Audiencia of Quito (roughly present day
Ecuador, southern
Colombia and northern
Peru).
With regard to his activity with altarpieces, one must emphasize well-documented
baroque features in his work such as the altarpiece of Mercy (1748–51), completed by his disciple named Gregorio, as well as the altarpiece Moderno del Carmen, which is attributed to his disciple and Legarda Jacinto Lopez.
Inmaculada Concepción de Popayán (Our Lady of the Assumption of Popayán), Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción (Cathedral of our Lady of the Assumption) in Popayán, Colombia
Legarda created a series of Immaculate Conceptions ("Virgins of Quito") and Assumptions.
The first are of various sizes — large, medium and small — especially in Franciscan churches of Quito, such as San Francisco, Guápulo, Santa Clara (in the market in the center of the city) and la Concepción.
Legarda, who was also skilled jeweler, did many figures for
Nativities.