MADRID.- Heritage National added four new works to the Royal Collections. Two of these pieces have been acquisitions of the Ministry of Culture of Espaa and it is a sketch with Christ crowning Saint Teresa, by Corrado Giaquinto, and a set of silver ewers of Isabel II and Francisco de Ass dated around 1861 are the pieces that the Ministry has acquired.
The other two pieces have been purchased directly by National Heritage: an anonymous painting of the Virgin of Atocha from the 17th century and the manuscript from the 18th century. General description of the fountains found in the gardens of the Royal Site of San Ildefonso.
For Leticia Ruiz, director of the Royal Collections, these are: “pieces with enormous relevance from the historical and artistic point of view.”
Ruiz also pointed out that with these additions the National Heritage: “expands its collection of masters such as Giaquinto, recovers pieces linked to Isabel II, as well as a piece of history from the Basilica of Atocha in the year of its 500th anniversary and a manuscript that tells us “what the Royal Site of La Granja was like in the 18th century, just when the tercentenary of the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso is about to be commemorated.”
Cultural wealth
The investment of 172,000 euros in these four pieces allows us to continue enriching the royal collections managed by National Heritage, considered among the most important in Europe for their diversity and richness.
The Gallery of the Royal Collections, the museum space opened this summer next to the Royal Palace of Madrid, allows us to understand the collecting of the kings of Spain throughout history. There, in a 40,000 square meter building that completes and updates the cornice of the palace, around 700 pieces from these Royal Collections are exhibited.
Regarding Isabel II’s ewer set consisting of a jug and tray, it was acquired by the queen as a gift for the infante Don Francisco de Borbón in 1861, on the occasion of his baptism. This is reflected in two invoices issued by the jeweler Mellerio Hermanos that are preserved in the General Archive of the Palace. The ewer is made of gilded silver with enamel, diamonds, garnets, emeralds, sapphires and rubies.
Giaquinto Boceto’s project with Christ crowning Saint Teresa It is a framed oil on canvas signed by Corrado Giaquinto (Molfetta, 1703-Naples, 1766). This is one of the few studies for soffitto – a decorative project for a ceiling – that exist in Spanish public collections.
The piece, for which Culture has paid 80,000 euros, joins the works of Giaquinto that are preserved in National Heritage, such as mural paintings of the Royal Palace of Madrid, the canvases of the gala dining room, as well as Bárbara’s sedan chair of Bragança which is currently part of the exhibition of the Gallery of the Royal Collections.
Coinciding with the tercentenary of the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso, National Heritage purchased a manuscript titled General description of the fountains found in the gardens of the Royal Site of La Granja de San Ildefonso. Year 1778which completes the documentary collections on the sources.
The book demonstrates, among other things, that the fountains were originally painted in a reddish bronze tone. In this manuscript the texts appear accompanied by extraordinarily detailed illustrations, and includes a historical plan of the gardens.
The relevance of the anonymous painting of the Virgin of Atocha lies in the fact that it very accurately reproduces the sculptural image of the Virgin of Atocha on her altar. National Heritage paid 14,500 euros for this piece, just in the year that marks 500 years since the signing of the deed of transfer of the Atocha hermitage to the Dominican Order for the founding of the convent.
Currently, National Heritage participates in an exhibition at the History Museum, Atocha, five hundred years of history of Madridwhich can be visited until February 11, from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., on Calle Fuencarral number 78. Admission is free.
FUENTE: Europa Press
