Altar frontal from La Seu d'Urgell or of The Apostles

Last updated
Frontal from La Seu d'Urgell or of The Apostles
(Barcelona) Altar frontal from La Seu d'Urgell or of the Apostles - Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya.jpg
ArtistUnknown
Year12th century
Medium Tempera on pine wood
Dimensions102.5 cm× 151 cm(40.4 in× 59 in)
Location Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, Barcelona

The Altar frontal from La Seu d'Urgell or of The Apostles is a Romanesque altar frontal currently exhibited at the National Art Museum of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain. [1] The work dates from the second quarter of the 12th century and comes from a church of the Bishop of La Seu d'Urgell and was acquired in 1905. It is one of the masterpieces of the collection of panel painting of the MNAC. The frontal, the item covering the front of the altar, stands out for the quality of its bright colours and because it illustrates some of the characteristics of composition in Romanesque art, such as bilateral symmetry, abstraction of the background, with no reference to space or context, and the unnatural geometrical treatment of form to be observed in the folds of the clothing. It also shows certain conventions of representation, such as so-called hierarchical perspective, which consists in representing the chief character in a larger size. [2]

Contents

Description

The Frontal exhibited at the Romanesque rooms of Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, in Barcelona. Inauguracio Sales romanic juny 2011 -Frontal Seu d'urgell 2.JPG
The Frontal exhibited at the Romanesque rooms of Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, in Barcelona.

The composition is presided by the Maiestas Domini , or Christ in Majesty , represented in a double mandorla, typical of earlier Carolingian art. According to the Bible sources inspiring the vision, the Lord's throne is the arc of Heaven and he has the Earth as his footstool. His face is framed by a cruciform halo and his expression is severe. He is holding the Book of Revelation in his left hand and blessing with his right. The Apostles figure in the lateral compartments, arranged in tiered pyramids, an original compositional formula, although it was already known in the art of the Early Empire and also appears in the famous 11th-century Romanesque bibles of Rodes and Ripoll.

The disciples are all addressing the Saviour, either with their eyes or with the inclination of their heads, and are carrying books or scrolls. St Peter, furthermore, is holding the keys. Opposite him, on the other side, is St Paul, with his characteristic bald head. Both the image of Christ and the quality of the yellow and red used and even the bordering on the frame are very similar to those on the frontal from Sant Martí d’Ix, [3] which probably came from the same workshop.

This frontal was painted in tempera on a pine panel. It is one of the most characteristic representations of Catalan Romanesque, showing Romanesque stylistic principles, such as bilateral symmetry and hierarchical geometric forms, as seen in the folds of the clothing. It is also noteworthy for the quality of the polychromy. The work shows similarities, especially with regard to colors and borders, to the frontal of Saint Martin of Ix, indicating that probably they are from the same author or workshop.

Notes

  1. Guia del Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya.pàgina 20. MNAC, 2004. ISBN   84-8043-136-9
  2. The artwork at MNAC's Website
  3. (MNAC/MAC 15802)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya</span> Art museum in Palau Nacional, Barcelona

The Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, abbreviated as MNAC, is a museum of Catalan visual art located in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Situated on Montjuïc hill at the end of Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina, near Pl Espanya, the museum is especially notable for its outstanding collection of romanesque church paintings, and for Catalan art and design from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including modernisme and noucentisme. The museum is housed in the Palau Nacional, a huge, Italian-style building dating to 1929. The Palau Nacional, which has housed the Museu d'Art de Catalunya since 1934, was declared a national museum in 1990 under the Museums Law passed by the Catalan Government. That same year, a thorough renovation process was launched to refurbish the site, based on plans drawn up by the architects Gae Aulenti and Enric Steegmann, who were later joined in the undertaking by Josep Benedito. The Oval Hall was reopened for the 1992 Summer Olympic Games, and the various collections were installed and opened over the period from 1995 to 2004. The museum was officially inaugurated on 16 December 2004. It is one of the largest museums in Spain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernat Martorell</span> Spanish painter

Bernat Martorell was the leading painter of Barcelona, in modern-day Spain. He is considered to be the most important artist of the International Gothic style in Catalonia. Martorell painted retable panels and manuscript illuminations, and carved sculptures and also provided designs for embroideries.

<i>Batlló Majesty</i>

The Batlló Majesty is a large 12th-century Romanesque wooden crucifix, now in the National Art Museum of Catalonia in Barcelona, Spain. It is one of the most elaborate examples in Catalonia of an image of Christ on the Cross, symbolizing his triumph over death.

<i>Altar frontal from Avià</i> 12th or 13th century Romanesque painting

The Altar frontal from Avià is a rare Romanesque altar frontal exhibited at the National Art Museum of Catalonia in Barcelona. It is the front of the altar of the church of St. Mary of Avià, in the county of Berguedà, later moved to MNAC Barcelona, while the church has a replica in place. It is dated to the 13th century or earlier, and was painted by an unknown artist.

<i>Southern apse from Pedret</i> Romanesque fresco painting

The Southern apse from Pedret is a Romanesque fresco painting from late 11th century or the beginning of the 12th century, which was acquired during the 1919-1923 campaign of the Junta de Museus. The artwork originated from the southern apsidiole of the Church of Sant Quirze de Pedret and is currently exhibited in the Romanesque Art collection at the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, in Barcelona, Spain.

<i>Apse of Santa Maria, Àneu</i> 11th – 12th century painting

The Apse of Santa María d'Àneu is a romanesque apse of the church of Santa Maria, Àneu, created in the late 11th century or early 12th century, the transferred frescos from which are now exhibited at Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, in Barcelona. The decoration of the apse of the church of Santa María d’Àneu combines themes and motifs from the Old and New Testaments. Originally painted at the Church of Santa María d’Àneu

Master of Pedret is the name given by historians to a Romanesque fresco painter active in Catalonia in the early twelfth century. The name has been given one of his most representative works, the right side of the apse of the church of San Quirze Pedret, now moved to the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paintings from Arlanza</span> 13th-century Spanish paintings

The paintings from Arlanza are a set of frescos belonging to the mural decoration of a Benedictine monastery of San Pedro de Arlanza, in the Province of Burgos, Castile and León, Spain, dating to around 1210, and now dispersed among a number of collections. The Spanish government began to detach and sell sections of the frescos in the 19th century, though less exciting sections remain in situ. In 1943, the largest group of six major fragments was moved to the National Art Museum of Catalonia of Barcelona. Most of the Romanesque mural painting that has survived is of religious subjects. There was also fine decorations of a courtly or profane nature in large monastic centres, such as Arlanza in Castile, and these fragments represent especially rare survivals. According to C. R. Dodwell, the "imposing" Arlanza paintings are "endowed with all the power and grandeur of Romanesque at its best".

<i>Apse of Sant Climent, Taüll</i> Catalan Romanesque fresco

The Apse of Sant Climent de Taüll is a Romanesque fresco in the National Art Museum of Catalonia, Barcelona. The fresco is one of the masterpieces of the European Romanesque, from which the unknown Master of Taüll takes his name. It was painted in the early 12th century in the church of Sant Climent de Taüll in the Vall de Boí, Alta Ribagorça in the Catalan Pyrenees. The mural covered the apse of the church. In 1919-1923 it was moved, along with other parts of the fresco decoration, to Barcelona, in an attempt to preserve the murals in a stable, secure museum setting.

<i>Erill la Vall Descent from the Cross</i>

Erill la Vall Descent from the Cross is a set of seven 12th-century wooden sculptures from the Pyrenees village of Erill la Vall in Catalonia. Originally painted, it comprises a complete Romanesque Descent from the Cross sculpture group, which in Catalonia has the peculiarity that it is made up of seven figures. Two of the carvings are kept at the National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC) and the rest at the Vic Episcopal Museum.

<i>Altar frontal from Tavèrnoles</i> Romanesque painting

The Altar frontal from Tavèrnoles is Romanesque altar frontal exhibited at the National Art Museum of Catalonia in Barcelona.

<i>Apse from the Carthedral of Urgell</i> Apse painting

The Apse from La Seu d'Urgell is an apse exhibited at the National Art Museum of Catalonia in Barcelona.

<i>Paintings from El Burgal</i> Group of paintings

The Paintings from El Burgal is group of paintings exhibited at the National Art Museum of Catalonia in Barcelona.

<i>Apostles from Àger</i> Painting

The Apostles from Àger is a painting created in the late 11th century or early 12th century, currently exhibited at the National Art Museum of Catalonia in Barcelona.

<i>Baldachin from Tost</i> c. 1220 painted baldachin

The Baldachin from Tost is a painted baldachin exhibited at the National Art Museum of Catalonia in Barcelona.

<i>Virgin from Ger</i>

The Virgin from Ger is a 12th century sculpture exhibited at the National Art Museum of Catalonia in Barcelona.

<i>Paintings from Santa Maria in Taüll</i> Set of frescos

The Paintings from Santa Maria in Taüll are a set of frescos conserved at the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, in Barcelona.

<i>Altar frontal from Cardet</i> 13th century alter front

The Altar frontal from Cardet is an altar conserved at the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, in Barcelona.

<i>Altar frontal from Santa Maria in Taüll</i> Anonymous painting c.1200

The Altar frontal from Santa Maria in Taüll is an altar frontal exhibited at the National Art Museum of Catalonia in Barcelona.

<i>The Christ from 1147</i>

The Christ from 1147 is a Catalan wood sculpture from the 12th-century, exhibited at the National Art Museum of Catalonia in Barcelona.

References