During the Modern Age, mural paintings were used for artistic and historical knowledge. This fact does not go unnoticed in one of the most amazing monuments in the city, the Royal Monastery of San Jerónimo in Granada. Therefore, in this article, we are going to analyse the frescoes in its church to get to know it even better.
If you are passionate about Art History, as well as its conservation and enhancement, this article is made for you.
We are going to analyse the church in an exhaustive manner, observing all its pictorial decoration. Here we can see the taste for mural painting that began to proliferate at the beginning of the 17th century. This trend was encouraged by both the religious orders and the nobility.
On the walls of the transept and the vaults, we can see how the pictorial ornamentation began in 1723 and ended in 1735. The recognised artists were Juan de Medina and Martín de Pineda, as the Order and the patrons were looking for the most sublime artists.
We can observe the great knowledge of Madrid mural painting and the mastery of both of them through the frescoes.
Throughout the church we can see different representations of feigned architectures, as well as illusory compositions.
In the main chapel, the main patrons are represented by means of an extraordinary solution composed of tapestries painted on the lateral arches. Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, the Great Captain, and his heir are shown kneeling before the popes who contributed to the financing of the temple.
The scene on the Gospel side takes place in an enclosed space. King Ferdinand the Catholic and the Great Captain are shown together with several soldiers. In the centre is the figure of a child holding a helmet and occupying the place closest to the altar. On the other side, Pope Alexander VI is shown blessing and giving the hero, the Great Captain, the sword he gave him for the defence of the church.
The second tapestry shows the Pontiff Gregory XIII together with the cathedral entourage. Behind him is King Philip II accompanied by his soldiers. This composition recounts the moment in which the 3rd Duke of Sessa prostrates himself before the Pontiff to show his fidelity as a soldier and steadfast servant of the Christian faith.
From the first section of the presbytery, the entire architectural surface is covered with paintings in the form of large tapestries. They depict local and foreign traditions.
Similarly, the first compositions on the walls of the transept. They allude to episodes from the life of Jesus. The Carranza Chapel and the Chapel of the Infantas, attributed to Martín de Pineda, are displayed under the side naves.
The main door of the temple frames various scenes. Among them we can find Jesus expelling the merchants from the temple and Saint Peter curing the crippled man, as well as the parade of archangels.
On the other hand, in the Chapel of Saint Anthony and in the choir are the best compositions that show the influence of Lucas Jordán's paintings.
The architectural backgrounds of the Chapel of St. Anthony contain a celestial base overlaid by the Cardinal Virtues and angels.
Finally, the choir, being the central nucleus of religious life, was the best place to depict the most significant episodes of the Hieronymite Order. It is organised on several levels where the figures of the Twelve Apostles are represented together with the Fathers of the Church.
The tapestries located at the front show the Triumphs with the scenes of Saint Jerome before Saint Damasus and before the hermits, culminating the programme with the Christ of the Expiration, which reflects Diego de Siloé's great stalls.
What do you think of the frescoes in the Church of the Monastery of San Jerónimo? If you haven't seen it yet or if you want to know it even more in depth after having seen part of its interior, don't hesitate to buy your tickets through our website.
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