Ornate, gilded four-tiered wooden altarpiece with carved decoration.
Photo © President and Fellows of Harvard College
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Photo © President and Fellows of Harvard College

The base level of this altarpiece has several scenes of figures carved in relief. The next level has a large central panel of a woman holding a reclining man before a wooden cross. Surrounding this panel are eight columns. The next tier is narrower and also has a central scene of carved figures, this time of a man and a woman holding a baby. It, too, is bordered by columns and scenes. The top level features six columns supporting half-arch shapes that together form a dome. The structure is gilded all over, and the figures are painted with colorful pigments.

Gallery Text

This reredos, or altarpiece, integrates multiple media and artistic practices by combining architectural articulation, figural relief, and surface ornamentation. One of the most celebrated arts of sixteenth-century Spain, polychrome wooden sculpture demonstrates the collaborative vibrancy of the craft workshop, which brought together artists, artisans, and draftsmen of various specialties to produce devotional objects. In this example, which contains a tabernacle to house the Eucharist, biblical scenes in carved wooden relief are arranged within a three-tiered architectural structure. The matte color of the flesh tones contrasts with the rich gilding of the fabrics, which were modeled through a laborious process known as estofado, involving the layering of red clay bole, gold leaf, and tempera paint. The polychromy of the reredos establishes a dialogue between its pictorial and spatial characteristics, with the painted surfaces further emphasizing its three-dimensional form.

Identification and Creation

Object Number
1946.60.A-F
People
Unidentified Artist
Title
Reredos (in three parts)
Other Titles
Former Title: Reredos (in three parts with two sculptured standing figures and one candlestick)
Classification
Furniture
Work Type
furniture
Date
c. 1570-1600
Culture
Spanish
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/94644

Location

Location
Level 2, Room 2540, European Art, 13th–16th century, The Renaissance
View this object's location on our interactive map

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Carved, polychromed and gilded pine wood
Dimensions
overall: 230 x 139 x 49 cm (90 9/16 x 54 3/4 x 19 5/16 in.)
part A, lower section: 92 x 139 x 49 cm (36 1/4 x 54 3/4 x 19 5/16 in.)
part B, middle section: 55 x 112 x 34 cm (21 5/8 x 44 1/8 x 13 3/8 in.)
part C, upper section: 83 x 49 x 27 cm (32 11/16 x 19 5/16 x 10 5/8 in.)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
Mrs. Samuel D. Warren, gift; to Fogg Art Museum, 1946

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Gift of Mrs. Samuel D. Warren
Accession Year
1946
Object Number
1946.60.A-F
Division
European and American Art
Contact
am_europeanamerican@harvard.edu
Permissions

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Exhibition History

  • 32Q: 2540 Renaissance, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 11/16/2014 - 01/01/2050

Subjects and Contexts

  • Google Art Project

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