Title

Crucifixion Tapestry

Generic classification

Object

Date

Century

Cultural context / style

Dimensions

Material

Technique

Iconography / Theme

Provenance

Current location

Object history

This beautiful Flemish cloth from the early 16th century is part of the tapestry collection of the Museo Alcázar de Colón, former Viceroyal Palace, in Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic). Thanks to the image that heads this study, we have been able to identify this cloth, which is currently presented without reference to its origin. However, our research has led us to conclude that it comes from the cathedral of Palencia.

In the inventory of the cathedral elaborated in 1931 the mentioned cloth appears: "ANOTHER TAPESTRY, also very fine, with beautiful border of foliage, grapes, deer and rabbits in an attitude of running. It represents on a country background 'CHRIST CRUCIFIED BETWEEN TWO THIEVES'. At his feet, the Virgin supported by St John and on the other side the Holy Women. - It measures 2.70 by 1.70 m" (Archive of the Cathedral of Palencia, Inventory of 1931). It should be noted that the tapestry, as can be seen in the aforementioned photographs, and as the record itself indicates, was hanging in the chapter house, but the lower border was not visible, it was folded, so the cloth could have been measured as it was, without this lower edge, so the measurements would match those provided by the Museo Alcázar de Colón of the preserved tapestry: 2.70 m x 1.87 m.

Navarro García, in the Catálogo monumental del a provincia de Palencia, vol. IV, published in 1946, years after it was written, among the rich collection of tapestries of the cathedral of Palencia, briefly described the tapestries found in the chapter house of the temple: "Over the entrance door there is a collection of admirable small tapestries and a large relief sculpted in wood, of the Descent from the Cross"; in the final section of the same publication, reserved for images, there was a snapshot of this tapestry on p. 213 of this tapestry dedicated to the Crucifixion in the chapter house (Navarro García, 1946, p. 209). Likewise, the Archive of the Moreno photography studio preserves, among its wide repertoire of images, this same tapestry when it was hanging in the chapter house of the cathedral of Palencia (12045_B. Fototeca IPCE).

The cloth was part of the group of works of the cathedral of Palencia that were present in the Historical-European Exhibition of Madrid in 1892, as it appeared in the catalogue of the exhibition: "121. Gothic tapestry representing the Calvary, in which Jesus Christ is seen crucified in the middle of the two thieves and at the foot of the Blessed Virgin is St John the Baptist" (Exposición Histórico-Europea 1892 a 1893: catálogo general, Madrid, Establecimiento tipográfico de Fortanet, 1893, p. 220). Its quality and good condition must have awakened the interest of collectors and antique dealers, since the magazine published by José Lázaro Galdiano, La España Moderna, highlighted the value of the piece in a chronicle of the exhibition: "in the Palencia episcopology it is reported that Bishop Fonseca gave the Cathedral in 1503 some tapestries with themes of ecclesiastical history and the Salve. All are Flemish and regular conservation keeps them in good condition (...) Already of the XVI century are two cloths of singular value, both of Palencia, and are two Flemish tapestries of silk, wool and silver. In both is represented the Crucifixion. One is marked B. B. (Brussels, etc.) (...) The two tapestries of Palencia deserve to be placed next to the tapestry of the Crucifixion, as they do not detract in any way from the composition of Van der Weiden" (La España moderna, June 1, 1893, p. 171). The other cloth referred to in this chronicle was also dedicated toThe Crucifixion, identified with catalogue number 124 and also from the cathedral of Palencia (Exposición Histórico-Europea 1892 a 1893: catálogo general, Madrid, Establecimiento tipográfico de Fortanet, 1893, no. 124, p. 220). This cloth is still preserved in the cathedral of Palencia.

What happened for this tapestry, which was part of the rich collection of cloths of the cathedral of Palencia, to be preserved today on the other side of the Atlantic? Everything points to the decision of the chapter to get rid of certain works at a particularly intense moment for the international trade of works of art in Spain. Throughout the 20th century we find various references to the sale of cloths in the cathedral of Palencia; for example, in 1920 the chapter decided that: "old and loose tapestries could be stored (sic)... could be transferred to the Episcopal Palace in order to facilitate their sale", also in 1925 it advocated such a decision to put up for sale: "remains of altarpieces and old cloths without any use" (Martínez Ruiz, 2008, t. I, pp. 160-172).

But it is the private documentation of the British antiquarian Lionel Harris that allows us to identify, in parallel to the chapter documentation, the interest of the chapter in getting rid of this particular cloth, since in his notes the antiquarian left one of his offers to the cathedral of Palencia: "Gothic gold small tapestry, Crucifixion, very fine. 16th Century"; moreover, in the same entry he cited the person who had been his interlocutor in such an operation, the Dean of the temple: Baldomero Torres (private archive J. A. Buces-P. Renard, Legacy Tomas Harris).

We know that Baldomero Torres Perona (1872-1945) was elected Dean of the cathedral of Palencia in August 1920 and remained so until his death in April 1945. Therefore, if we assume that the cloth was in the cathedral on the date of the 1931 inventory, as reflected in the repertoire, the work may have left the temple between 1931 and 1945. We know that in that same year of 1931 Harris received a letter from the dean of the cathedral, Baldomero Torres, as the British antiquarian states in his notes, citing the year: 1931 and indicating that the dean offered him four tapestries for 120,000 pesetas, tapestries that he did not buy; the antiquarian himself points out that they were acquired by Hearst, as indeed happened. The magnate William Randolph Hearst acquired them through his agent in Spain, Arthur Byne, in fact, it was one of the last operations of the agent in Spain before his death in 1935. These cloths are now in the Museum of Fine Arts in Brussels. In Harris's notes, there are entries prior to 1931 in his visits or dealings with the cathedral of Palencia, and the one referring to the tapestry in question is earlier, without specifying a specific date. The fact that in 1931 Baldomero Torres offered Harris four large tapestries of the cathedral, of inestimable value, is because he trusted in the good offers of the antiquarian, they knew each other and at that moment the liquidation of several works of the cathedral was taking place.

Through Harris, and his antiques firm, The Spanish Art Gallery, the cloth had to reach America, since the next person interested in the cloth, as we have been able to document, was the New York art gallery French & Co., specialized in all kinds of antiques for interior decoration, especially tapestries. The marketing of antique cloths from Europe was one of the hallmarks of the firm, which brought it enormous prestige among collectors and museums in the United States. Indeed, among the documentary repertoire of this stamp, preserved at the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles, we have also located the image of this cloth (Accession No. 97.P.7. Original DB ID: 2365), an image from the French & Co. archive that unfortunately does not appear associated with an identifying card within the stock of French & Co. works (we are grateful for the help provided by Tracey Schuster, of the Getty Research Institute). At that time the work had already lost all reference to its provenance, since its origin was unknown, and so it has come down to us.

The next step, so far documented, is its current presence in the tapestry collection of the old Viceroyal Palace of Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), where the collection of the current Museo Alcázar de Colón is preserved and enriched. The cloth became part of the institution's collection in 1957, the year in which the building opened its doors as a museum. This took place after the Spanish architect Javier Barroso (1903-1990), who was commissioned by the Dominican government under the presidency of Rafael Leónidas Trujillo, to restore and refurbish the old Viceroyal Palace. Architect not only known for his construction projects, but also as a player and later manager of Atlético de Madrid. For this football club he designed, in collaboration with Miguel Ángel García-Lomas Mata, the team's stadium on the banks of the Manzanares river.

Until now there was no reference to the provenance of this tapestry in its current institution, as this link was lost after its sale and its passage to the art trade circuit. We are grateful to the professionals of the Museo Alcázar de Colón for the information they have provided us with (measurements and images of the work), which has allowed us to reconstruct the journey of the tapestry. We hope that this research will contribute to the restitution of its memory because, as we have tried to show, it is linked to the cathedral of Palencia.

Description

Christ on the cross is flanked by the two thieves, while the Virgin Mary, St John and Mary Magdalene accompany his martyrdom at the foot of the cross, as described by the four evangelists (Matthew 27:45-58, Mark 15:33-45, Luke 23:44-52 and John 19:25-38). The composition of the figures, as well as their clothing, the vivid decoration that ornaments the whole, and the motifs of the borders -where we can appreciate garlands of flowers, packs of dogs and deer, foliage and birds-, allow us to interpret that it is a Flemish tapestry, possibly woven in Brussels between 1510-1520. Although the left and right borders of the cloth do not coincide, they show that the work was altered at some point; perhaps it was cut out (such an impression is also given by the figures closest to the border), and the border of another cloth had to be incorporated.

Locations

• ca. 1931

  cathedral

  Palencia Cathedral, Palencia (Spain)

• ca. 1931

  dealer/antiquarian

  The Spanish Art Gallery, London, London (United Kingdom) *

• Unknown date

  dealer/antiquarian

  French & Company, New York (United States) *

• 1957 - present

  museum

  Columbus Alcazar Museum, Santo Domingo (República Dominicana)