Title

Letters Patent of Nobility of Petitioner Antonio de Contreras

Generic classification

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Inventory Number in Current Collection

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. He also 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 Hipanic Society of America charter of nobility was issued in 1651 in Valladolid to Antonio de Contreras. After being acquired by Huntington, it was eventually given to the Hispanic Society in 1956 (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 of the document, so that he was exempt from the payment of certain taxes, fees and obligations. In addition, the descendants of a nobleman kept these documents with care, since sometimes they needed to claim the privileges of their ancestor, thus evidencing their class rank. Given the importance of these documents, their authors made high quality illuminations and their owners ordered bindings to match their content. Thus, the Letters of Hidalguía are important documents that provide key information about the society and artistic evolution of Spanish illuminators during the Renaissance and Baroque periods (Codding, O'Neil and Lenaghan 2021).

This letter of execution, produced in Valladolid in 1651 for Antonio de Contreras, is distinguished by its visual richness and its binding stamped in gold with floral and vine motifs, in addition to retaining its original seal. Its lavish decorations include three scenes on a single page: an Immaculate Conception and the apparition of the Infant Jesus to St. Anthony at the top, and a portrait of Antonio de Contreras and his family at the bottom (Codding 2017, 192).

The religious scenes are notable for a palette of light tones, anticipating the pastel and silver colors that would characterize later painting, as in the work of Juan Carreño de Miranda. However, the illuminator does not achieve the fluidity and elegance of the movements present in Carreño's paintings. The St. Anthony scene, although light in tone, reveals a certain rigidity in perspective (Codding 2017, 192).

In contrast, the family portraits employ dark and warm tones, achieving great sensitivity in the faces, reflecting the influence of Velázquez. Although the illuminator does not reach the mastery of the Sevillian in bodily representation, his work shows a remarkable effort to respond to the aesthetic challenges of the time, offering a unique window into the artistic process of his time (Codding 2017, 192).

Locations

• 1651 - 1956

  municipality

  Valladolid, Valladolid (Spain)

• 1956 - present

  museum

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