Biography

Juan de Juni (1507-1577) was born in Joigny (France) (Peltier, 2006; 2012). He was probably trained in Italy in view of his versatility in the handling of materials: wood, stone or clay were the main ones. In addition, his works are influenced by important Italian artists such as Jacopo della Quercia and Michelangelo, therefore, although there are no surviving pieces from his stay in Italy, everything indicates that he learned there by observing the works of the great masters (Martín González, 1977). He later moved to Spain, settling permanently in Valladolid in 1540. There he opened a workshop that soon acquired great fame. He made pieces for León, Salamanca and Medina de Rioseco, among many other places. Juni's works are characterized by the expressiveness of the faces, the dynamic gestures and the meticulous representation of the folds in the clothes. His ability to capture emotion and spirituality in his figures made him a sculptor in great demand by religious orders and brotherhoods. Juan de Juni's works are scattered in museums and national and international institutions. See, for example: The Burial of Christ (National Museum of Sculpture, Valladolid); Immaculada (Provincial Archaeological Museum of Orense) or Christ Scourged (Lazaro Galdiano Museum, Madrid).

Bibliography

• FERNÁNDEZ DEL HOYO, María Antonia (1991): "Datos para la biografía de Juan de Juni", nº 57, Boletín del Seminario de Estudios de Arte y Arqueología: BSAA.
• MARTÍN GONZÁLEZ, Juan José (1977): Juan de Juni y su época. Exposición conmemorativa del IV Centenario de la muerte de Juan de Juni, Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia, Dirección General de Patrimonio Artístico y Cultural, Comisaria Nacional de la Música, Madrid.
• MARTÍN GONZÁLEZ, Juan José (1963): "Una escultura inédita de Juan de Juni", nº 29, Boletín del Seminario de Estudios de Arte y Arqueología: BSAA.
• MARTÍN GONZÁLEZ, Juan José (1977): "Miscelánea sobre Juan de Juni", nº 43, Boletín del Seminario de Estudios de Arte y Arqueología: BSAA.
• PELTIER, Cyril (2006): "Sobre el recorrido formativo de Juan de Juni en Francia", nº 10, Boletín del Museo Nacional de Escultura.
• PELTIER, Cyril (2012): "De Jean de Joigny (1507-1533) à Juan de Juni (1533-1577)", en Les échanges artistiques entre la France et l'Espagne (XVe-fin XIXe siècles), Presses Universitaires de Perpignan, Perpignan.