Holy Spirit Altarpiece: History, Style and Iconography
Altarpiece of the Holy Spirit
Altarpiece of the Holy Spirit.
- Chronology.
From the year 1393 to 1394.
- Style.
Italogòtic style. Author: Pedro Sierra. Technique: tempera. Support: wood. Location: Chapel of the Holy Spirit in the church of Santa Maria Manresa.
Key characteristics:
- Monumental, hieratic symmetry mixed with a certain naturalism.
- Use of three paint colors with a predominantly curved line.
- Figures with volume and communicative intent through gesture and gaze.
- Early exercises in perspective, combining backgrounds with gilded decorations and simple architectural landscapes.
The colors of this altarpiece are smooth, not aggressive. There are blue dresses, with which the Virgin Mary appears repeatedly, and red robes on some characters. The golden background, characteristic of the school of Siena, is present in most scenes. Color predominates over the drawing. The modeling is still very sharp, and the heads are a little flat.
The altarpiece is structured with central sections separated by five studs, each with different figures, and a predella with only two end plates. The central section, wider than the others, is divided into three overlapping registers.
The remaining sections are divided into three superimposed compartments of smaller size, crowned by small structures decorated with angels carrying filacteus (written parchments). The top of the altar is topped with Gothic architectural motifs, and the canopy is decorated with floral motifs and shields.
The altarpiece is presided over by the scene of the arrival of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost), which is larger than the others. It represents the moment when the Holy Spirit infuses the souls of the apostles with the gift of preaching Christianity.
Above this passage, the Coronation of Mary appears, flanked by two pairs of angels. The side sections, two on each side, represent different episodes from the Genesis and New Testament, accompanied by several saints and characters from the Old Testament, painted in the spaces between the sections or studs. In the predella, the left side represents St. Stephen arguing with the Jewish doctors, and the right side depicts the Mass of Saint Martin. In the center is painted Borrassà’s Mercy of Christ.
Pere Serra is one of the representatives of the Italogòtic style of painting in Catalonia. The composition is pleasant, not dramatic, and the characters hardly express any sentiment. The faces are idealized and follow the model of the school of Siena; the female ones, in particular, are almost identical, whether the Virgin Mary or any saint. In the male figures, however, there is a little more variety. The figure of the Virgin is archetypal and is repeated in several scenes with the same expression and identical inclination of the head.
Some images reproduce models of the era, such as the Annunciation, with Mary kneeling and the angel sitting reading, or the Adoration of the Magi, in which Joseph is undervalued. There are other scenes, however, that have a unique composition, such as the creation of the world, Adam, or the ascension of Jesus Christ.
Iconography
The Holy Spirit is joined to the figures of God the Father and God the Son as the third person of the Holy Trinity. It represents the active power of God, his vital principle, and is present in the conception of the Virgin Mary. It inspires the apostles and disciples of Jesus so they can preach their faith and create a community of the faithful Church. All these functions are represented in this altarpiece dedicated to the Holy Spirit.
Meaning
The basic intention of this tableau is not to represent images of Jesus, but to glorify the Holy Spirit. This explains the discontinuity and jumps in scenes: the narrative cycle begins with only two images of the Old Testament and immediately passes to the New Testament. Moreover, it leaves out the Passion and then enters a scene referring to the Church: St. Peter, the founder, preaching Christianity inspired by the Holy Spirit. Thus, what stands out is the presence of the Holy Spirit, both in the Old Testament (God is both Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and the New Testament (Annunciation, Baptism, and Pentecost), and the history of the Church on earth (or the preaching of St. Peter and St. Stephen arguing with the Jewish doctors). It also gives prominence to Mary as Mother of God and the image of the Church.
Function
It was created to decorate the chapel of the leather workers’ guild of the city of Manresa, in the Cathedral. Its members were grouped in the Brotherhood of the Holy Spirit and had a chapel dedicated to it in one of the aisles of the Cathedral of Manresa, dedicated to Santa Maria. The other function is to glorify the Holy Spirit.