Pedro de Mena
Pedro de Mena y Medrano | |
|---|---|
Bust of Pedro de Mena y Medrano (17th century) | |
| Born | August 20, 1628 |
| Died | October 13, 1688 (aged 60) |
| Known for | Sculpture |
| Notable work | Penitent Mary Magdalene, Choir stalls of Málaga Cathedral |
| Style | Baroque |
| Spouse | Catalina de Vitoria y Urquijo |
| Children | Multiple, five entered religious orders |
| Parent(s) | Alonso de Mena and Juana de Medrano y Cabrera |
| Memorial(s) | Bust in Málaga, Spain |
Pedro de Mena y Medrano (Granada, 20 August 1628 – Málaga, 13 October 1688) was a prominent Spanish sculptor during the baroque period. After Alonso Cano's death in 1667, Pedro de Mena y Medrano became the top sculptor in the Iberian Peninsula. He became the official sculptor of the Toledo Cathedral and a Familiar of the Holy Office of Granada.
Pedro de Mena is one of the most significant and well-documented sculptors of the Andalusian Baroque. Pedro was summoned to the royal court in 1662, located in Madrid. During the 1670s, Pedro exhibited a strong business acumen. Beyond securing numerous contracts for his sculptural work, he expanded his activities into other ventures, including the slave trade, real estate transactions such as leasing and selling properties, and even silk trading.
Notable works include sculptural elements for the choir stalls of the Cathedral of Málaga, statues of the Madonna and Child and St. Joseph in Madrid, polychrome figures in the Church of St. Isidore, and sculptures of the Magdalene and St. Gertrude in the Church of St. Martin (Madrid). Additionally, he crafted a crucifixion for Nuestra Señora de Gracia (Madrid), a statuette of St. Francis of Assisi in Toledo, and a depiction of St. Joseph for the Church of St. Nicholas in Murcia. Around 1680, he was in Granada, where he sculpted a seated half-length Madonna and Child for the Church of St. Dominic.