Paintings from Arlanza

MNAC

, Barcelona

The paintings from Arlanza are a set of

C. R. Dodwell, the "imposing" Arlanza paintings are "endowed with all the power and grandeur of Romanesque at its best".^[2]

Description

The ten very large animals and other subjects from the world of

Fogg Art Museum,^[6]

and another in a private collection.

The style of the paintings in Arlanza is generally related to other Spanish works of around 1200, especially the frescos from the

Monastery of Santa María de Sigena (also in MNAC, Barcelona), which are clearly influenced by English illuminated manuscript miniature painting, something that can be seen in the refinement and the precision of the motifs, combined with their monumental nature.^[7] The Sigena frescos, which are probably actually largely by English artists, namely some of the team who illuminated the Winchester Bible,^[8] also contain a very similar gryphon and lion,^[9] and are possibly by the same principal artist.^[10] The Arlanza fragments in New York still include their section of the black and white frieze with more figures including fabulous beasts running below the large polychrome

animals.

Emblem of Castile, MNAC
Dragon in New York
Old emblem of León in New York
A figure with crozier, still at Arlanza; later period
The room in the tower from which(?) the paintings were removed
Bird-mermaids, MNAC

Notes

^ entry at the MNAC website
^ Dodwell, 268
^ Dodwell describes them as "over life-size", somewhat begging the question in the case of the dragon and other mythical beasts
^ Sources are oddly variable on this
^ Cloisters lion
^ Fogg Art Museum fragment^{[permanent dead link]}
^ entry at the MNAC website; also see Cloisters
^ Dodwell, 372-373, and Oakeshott throughout
^ Oakeshott: Gryphon, figures 207 (Arlanza) and 208 (Sigena), Sigena lion figure 42; the Sigena gryphon, after fire damage, can be seen at right in this photo.
^ Dodwell, 268

Carbonell, Eduard; Pagès, Montserrat; Camps, Jordi; Marot, Teresa (1998). Romanesque Art Guide: Museu Nacional D'Art de Catalunya. Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
Carbonell, Eduard; Sureda i Pons, Joan (1997). The Medieval Treasures of the Museu Nacional D'Art de Catalunya. Lunwerg. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
Dodwell, C.R.; The Pictorial arts of the West, 800-1200, 1993, Yale UP,
ISBN 0300064934

ISBN 0-8212-0497-1

[1] try at the MNAC website

[2] Dodwell, 268

[3] Dodwell describes them as "over life-size", somewhat begging the question in the case of the dragon and other mythical beasts

[4] Sources are oddly variable on this

[5] Cloisters lion

[6] Fogg Art Museum fragment^{[permanent dead link]}

[7] try at the MNAC website; also see Cloisters

[8] Dodwell, 372-373, and Oakeshott throughout

[9] Oakeshott: Gryphon, figures 207 (Arlanza) and 208 (Sigena), Sigena lion figure 42; the Sigena gryphon, after fire damage, can be seen at right in this photo.

[10] Dodwell, 268

[2]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

v t e Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya
Romanesque works	Altar frontal from La Seu d'Urgell or of The Apostles Southern apse from Pedret Apse of Santa Maria Àneu Apse of Sant Climent de Taüll Erill la Vall Descent from the Cross Batlló Majesty Altar frontal from Avià Paintings from Arlanza The Christ from 1147 Virgin from Ger
Gothic works	Mural paintings of the conquest of Majorca Head of Christ Virgin of the Angels Altarpiece of Saint Barbara Nativity and Saint John the Evangelist Altarpiece of the Saints John Virgin of the Consellers Saint Augustine Altarpiece Resurrection of Christ
Renaissance and Baroque works	Saint Candidus Jean-Claude Richard, abbé of Saint-Non Mural Paintings from the Herrera Chapel Saint Peter and Saint Paul Madonna of Humility Immaculate Conception Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew Saint Paul Saint Agnes
Modern works	The Odalisque The Spanish Wedding Desolation Ramon Casas and Pere Romeu on a Tandem Confidant from the Batlló House Terraced Village Paloma Cala Forn Portrait of My Father Woman in Hat and Fur Collar Raised left hand Still life II The Corpus Christi Procession Leaving the Church of Santa Maria del Mar A Romance
See also	List of artists from the MNAC collection Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya

Description

Notes

Further reading