Title

Letters Patent of Nobility of Petitioner Bartolomé de Montoya

Anónimo procedente de Castilla y León

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Object history

The Hispanic Society of America's documentary holdings include nearly 200,000 manuscripts, letters and documents. Archer M. Huntington, founder of the institution, created this great collection between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. To this end, he purchased large personal libraries such as that of the Marquis of Jerez de los Caballeros, who sold him around 10,000 manuscripts and printed books, or the bullfighting library of Carmena y Millán. Likewise, he established commercial relationships with private collectors such as Karl W. Hieserman, who provided Huntington with large personalized catalogs of documents, pieces and manuscripts (Codding, O'Neil and Lenaghan 2021, 9).

This Hispanic Sociery of America executor letter of hidalguía was issued in 1552 in Valladolid to Bartolomé de Montoya. After being acquired by Huntington, it was eventually given to the Hispanic Society in 1956. This document was probably acquired in the purchase of a large collection and subsequently Huntington deposited it in the institution's holdings (Codding, 2017).

Description

Letters of hidalguía were royal documents that granted their recipient the heraldic status of knight. Letters of hidalguía began to be issued during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs, who founded a special court, the Sala de Hijosdalgo, at the Royal Chancery of Valladolid. These documents could only be issued by the Royal Chancilleries of Valladolid and Granada, often after lengthy and costly litigation by the plaintiff. The letters were validated by a lead seal attached to the spine of the document with a multicolored cord. The importance of these documents lay in the fact that they certified the social position of the holder, so that he was exempt from paying certain taxes, fees and obligations. In addition, the descendants of a nobleman kept these documents with care, as they sometimes needed to claim the privileges of their ancestor to certify their social status. Given the importance of these documents, their authors made high quality illuminations and their owners ordered bindings to match their content. Thus, letters of hidalguía are important documents, which provide us with key information about the society and artistic evolution of Spanish illuminators during the Renaissance and Baroque periods (Codding, O'Neil and Lenaghan 2021).

The present carta de hidalguía was issued in 1552 by the Chancillería de Valladolid in the name of Bartolomé Montoya. It is notable for the attentive work of the artists, who opted for a mixture of medieval and Renaissance artistic tradition. On the central double page (fols. 2v-3r), the initial D houses the family coat of arms, while a scene shows the comitentes kneeling before the Virgin Mary, who protects them under her mantle (Codding 2017, 186-7).

In the lower images and red borders, the advances of the Renaissance style are evident. Scenes such as a Roman triumphal procession and the defeat of Goliath at the hands of David are presented as a continuous frieze, generating great visual impact. In addition, the classical motifs of the borders reflect the influence of Roman ornamentation, characteristic of the Renaissance, and the Spanish artists' learning of Italian trends (Codding 2017, 186-7).

The combination of classical and religious elements are the result of the particular adaptation of the Renaissance in Spain. Ancient motifs are integrated as embellishments that enhance the spiritual message. This balanced approach demonstrates how 16th century Spanish art assimilated the Renaissance without losing sight of its deep Catholic roots (Codding, 2017, 186-7).

Locations

• 1550

  Real Audiencia y Chancillería de Valladolid, Valladolid (Spain)

• 1956

  private collection

  Archer Milton Huntington, New York (United States) *

• 1956 - present

  museum

  The Hispanic Society of America, New York (United States)