Title

Epitaph of don Alfonso Gutiérrez

Anonimous

Generic classification

Object

Date

Century

Cultural context / style

Dimensions

Material

Technique

Iconography / Theme

Provenance

Current location

Inventory Number in Current Collection

Inscriptions / Marks

Here between two tombs

lies Alfonso Gutiérrez

beneficiary of the order

of Saint Anthony between his

father and his mother who erected

this chapel to Saint

Lawrence and died on Wednesday

seven days passed

into the mont of January

era of MILL E CCC LXX

XII years 

Object history

According to the epigraphic text that can be read on the epitaph, this piece would belong to the tomb of Don Alfonso Gutiérrez, who was a member of the Hospitaller Brothers of Saint Anthony. Said congregation was founded in France in the year 1095 to care for those who had Saint Anthony's fire disease, an epidemic that spread in the Middle Ages as a result of food poisoning (Martín, 2010). In Castile the order was introduced by Alfonso VII in 1146.

Regarding the dating of the epitaph, according to Valdez and Álamo (2016): "The lettering of the words Wednesday seven, January, and the last two numerals of the year are smaller and shallower than the rest of the inscription". Therefore, it is possible that Don Alfonso Gutiérrez commissioned this epitaph during his lifetime and after his death the date was added. The deceased was buried next to his parents in the chapel of San Lorenzo, being located by Gilman (1932) in the city of Burgos. The decoration of the epitaph (Franco, 2003) with the tetramorph (eagle, bull, lion and man) and its arrangement are reminiscent of one of the tombs found in the sacristy of Santo Cristo in the cathedral of Burgos (Gómez Bárcena, 1988). In addition, in this sacristy we can also read on another tombstone the word "fuesa", a term that is repeated in the epitaph of Don Alfonso Gutiérrez. Thus, it seems plausible to think that his burial was in Burgos.

It is unknown how and when the piece was exported from the country, however, a photograph found in the archives of the Hispanic Society of America reveals that the epitaph was there before 1912 (Valdez and Álamo, 2016).

Description

In spite of the abrasion on the lower part of the piece, it is in a good state of preservation. The epigraphic text is located in the center of the epitaph and in the corners there is a decoration where the tetramorph can be seen. Also, in the lower and upper part there are four coats of arms whose condition does not allow their identification. Later a metal hook was added to hang the piece to the wall.

Locations

• XIV^th c.

  province

  Possible origin in the province of Burgos, Burgos (Spain)

• pre. 1912 - present

  museum

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