Ezequiel

The Prado's panel depicting the prophet Ezekiel was likely part of a larger altarpiece cycle devoted to the Hebrew prophets, common in Spanish cathedral programmes of the early sixteenth century. Ezekiel, who prophesied the restoration of Israel and described his famous vision of the chariot-throne of God, was frequently depicted as a bearded elder holding a scroll. The Master of Becerril was a Castilian anonymous painter associated with works from the Becerril de Campos area, working within the Hispano-Flemish tradition. This figure study demonstrates the transition underway in Spanish painting from flat Gothic representation toward the volumetric modeling absorbed from Italian and Flemish Renaissance sources.

The prophet is presented in three-quarter view with scrolled attribute, rendered against a plain or gilded ground. Drapery is organized in broad, rhythmic folds with limited chiaroscuro. The palette tends toward deep ochres, blues, and greens typical of Castilian panel painting of this era.