Neo-Gothic altarpiece. Spanish school, first half of the 20th century

Neo-Gothic altarpiece. Spanish school, first half of the 20th century
"Virgin of Mount Carmel with Child, St. Anne and St. Francis of Assisi."
Oil on panel with gilded and polychrome woodwork.
The altarpiece has flaws in the polychrome and visible areas of wear in the wooden structure and gilding, especially in the upper corners and bases. Nevertheless, it maintains its formal integrity and its scenic presence, with great restoration potential for its aesthetic revaluation.
Measurements: 237 x 185 cm.

Altarpiece of neo-Gothic inspiration, made in the first half of the 20th century, which faithfully follows the devotional and aesthetic models characteristic of the Crown of Aragon in the 15th century, both in its architectural structure and in its iconographic program. This piece stands out for the quality of its pictorial execution and carpentry, reflecting a deep religious devotion together with a high ornamental value.
In the central body is represented the Virgin of Carmen, crowned and enthroned, holding the Child Jesus in her arms, both with the Carmelite scapular, symbol of salvation and Marian devotion. On the sides, under two niches with golden pinnacles and Gothic tracery, are Saint Anne, mother of the Virgin Mary, and Saint Francis of Assisi, recognizable by his Franciscan habit and stigmata. Both saints refer to the Christian tradition of piety, teaching and exemplary life.

The ensemble is crowned by a neo-Gothic architecture profusely worked in gilded wood, with openwork tracery, canopies and phylacteries with Latin inscriptions, all very typical of the religious historicism of the early twentieth century, when there was a revaluation of medieval sacred art, especially in contexts linked to religious orders or ecclesiastical institutions.

During the first third of the 20th century, at the height of the artistic historicism and religious neo-Gothic, altarpieces were produced for parishes, convents and private chapels. Inspired by late medieval models, such as those developed in the old Kingdom of Aragon, these works not only emulated the aesthetics of the past, but also sought to recover the visual spirituality of the golden centuries of Christian art. This altarpiece is fully in line with this trend, with a rigorous aesthetic and meticulous pictorial execution.