Photo © President and Fellows of Harvard College
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Photo © President and Fellows of Harvard College
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Identification and Creation

Object Number
1930.397
People
Unidentified Artist
Title
Super-frontal depicting the Life of Saint Rita of Cascia
Other Titles
Alternate Title: Altar frontlet
Classification
Textile Arts
Work Type
textile
Date
late 17th century
Places
Creation Place: Europe, Spain
Culture
Spanish
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/231465

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Silk
Technique
Embroidery
Dimensions
21 x 142.5 cm (8 1/4 x 56 1/8 in.)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
Nettie G. Naumburg, New York, Bequest to the Fogg Art Museum, 1930.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Bequest of Nettie G. Naumburg
Accession Year
1930
Object Number
1930.397
Division
European and American Art
Contact
am_europeanamerican@harvard.edu
Permissions

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Descriptions

Description
The superfrontal, for an altar, has a crimson plain weave silk ground with embroidered appliqués and embroidered decoration. The stitches employed are primarily satin and couched. The appliqués have a linen plain weave ground and are framed with padded embroidery. There are five medallions depicting the life of Saint Rita of Cascia, an Augustinian nun, interspersed with four cherubs and flowers (tulips and carnations), some small birds and insects.
From left to right the scenes depict:
a nun saint wearing a black and white habit, with a wound in her forehead, lying in her coffin; a nun saint kneeling at an altar with a Corpus, receiving a head wound from Christ's crown of thorns; a novice at her clothing; a young nun with St. Nicholas of Tolentino (an Augustinian holding a lily), St. Augustine of Hippo (a bishop saint), and St. John the Baptist; the future nun as a baby with her parents - the bed hangings contain bee motifs. The border is a dagged design defined by a double row of gilt metallic yarns with a small flower in each of the points. The backing (not contemporary) is a silk plain weave.

Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of European and American Art at am_europeanamerican@harvard.edu