Page 53 - Art In The Age Of Exploration (Great Section on Chinese Art Ming Dynasty)

wife, Maria Fernendez, bore him a son named and the sculptural decoration was essential to it. contrasts between their respective Gothic and
Simon, who also became a gifted architect and We can better appreciate Simon's style on the Renaissance styles.
sculptor. Juan de Colonia supervised the build- inner doors. The entrance to the funerary chapel The facade of the Colegio de San Gregorio in
ing of the towers of the cathedral and the of Don Alonso (in the adjacent Colegio de San Valladolid displays some of the principal fea-
sculptural program of the west facade. He died Gregorio) depicts San Ildefonso receiving the tures that characterize Gil de Siloe's style. It is
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in 1480. chasuble from the Virgin, with the bishop a posterlike composition, symbolizing royal
Other works of sculpture executed in Burgos shown, as in the facade, kneeling in prayer. power. Wild men appear near the door. At the
during this period indicate that there was a Francisco de Colonia assisted his father in the very top, surrounded by a pomegranate emerg-
flourishing local school. Archbishop Alonso de works in San Pablo and also executed the high ing from a fountain that symbolizes the Tree
Cartagena died in 1456, and his tomb is an altar of the church of San Nicolas in Burgos, in of Life, is the coat-of-arms of the Catholic
extravagant example of the florid Gothic style. 14 polychromed marble, between 1503 and 1505. monarchs. It has been suggested that the pome-
Although the sculptor is unknown, the work This retablo, with its small-scale figures, is granate is intended as a reference to the con-
seems to have been executed in Burgos, since related in design to the facade of the church of quest of Granada in 1492. It is equally possible
several saints especially venerated in the prov- San Pablo. Its completion marks the end of the that it is meant to symbolize theology, a disci-
ince of Burgos are included in the program. Gothic style in Burgos; it is contemporary with pline of central importance to the Colegio de
Moreover, the numerous tombs from this Felipe Bigamy's earliest Renaissance works in San Gregorio.
period in Burgos Cathedral which differ in the cathedral. Gil de Siloe's talent achieves its highest
manner and style from those executed by Gil Gil de Siloe headed the other great family of expression in his funerary monuments. King
de Siloe — the most important of which is the sculptors in Burgos. There are two hypotheses Juan n had very generously endowed the mon-
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tomb of Alonso Rodriguez de Maluenda — with regard to his origins. One identifies him astery of Miraflores, where Henry in had pre-
record the presence of masters working outside with a certain "Gil de Emberres (Antwerp)" viously erected a palace adjoining the church. 21
his sphere of influence. mentioned in a lawsuit concerning the Monas- The church itself was built at the command of
Simon de Colonia, Juan's son, was born in tery of San Pablo in Valladolid. Another Queen Isabella, who commissioned tombs to be
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Burgos, and his style developed under the proposal is that he is to be identified with the erected for her parents, Juan n and Isabel of
influence of the sculptors with whom he worked "Gil de Urliones" (perhaps a reference to Portugal. Gil de Siloe's preliminary sketch for
in Burgos and Toledo. In 1481 he was appointed Orleans), who is referred to in the contract the tombs dates from i486. Isabella, who
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chief master of the works at Burgos Cathedral. commissioning the retablo of the church of San visited Miraflores in 1483 to view the body of
He was in charge of building the great Capilla Esteban in Burgos. We know that Gil de Siloe Juan n, had doubtless heard of Gil — quite
del Condestable, sponsored by Don Pedro lived in Burgos, where he married a Spanish possibly from bishop Alonso de Burgos, who
Fernandez de Velasco, Constable of Castile and woman, who bore him four children; one of was her confessor — before commissioning such
husband of Maria de Mendoza, the daughter of them, Diego, himself became a prominent an important work. There is a key precedent
the marquis of Santillana. The sculptural deco- architect and sculptor. for Gil de Siloe's free-standing composition
ration includes statues at the entrance to the Gil de Siloe's first known work was the in the tombs of the dukes of Burgundy,
chapel and, on the walls, wild men holding altarpiece for the chapel of the Colegio de San originally in the Carthusian monastery of
coats of arms. The manner of these works is Gregorio in Valladolid, since destroyed. Old Champmol at Dijon. With the help of several
tranquil, the drapery elegant, though rather descriptions of it emphasize its quality. He also assistants, Gil de Siloe completed the alabaster
stiff, and the whole suggests the participation created marvelous works in the monastery of tomb in 1493. It is one of the great masterpieces
of Simon's workshop. Miraflores outside Burgos, a building under of Gothic funerary sculpture in Spain (see
Simon is also responsible for the facade of the royal patronage. Between 1496 and 1499 he cat. 48). He did not hesitate to draw heavily on
church of San Pablo in Valladolid, completed in executed the high altar, which presents an the mudejar style of ornament. The effigies are
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1500. Although the contract no longer exists, allegory of the Eucharist, a polychromed wooden in a recumbent position, although they are
it is referred to in a document dated 1501: retablo which still shines like a jewel. Its geo- sculpted as though standing. Isabel of Portugal
"contrato sobre la portade que se habia de hacer metrical composition, with a great circle at the is portrayed reading a book, resting on a lav-
en el dicho monasterio... entre el obispo de center surrounded by a number of smaller ones, ishly embroidered pillow. The garments are
Palencia Don Alonso de Burgos y Maestre recalls the German Rosenkranzaltaren (Rosary shown richly brocaded and bejeweled. The tomb
Ximon, vecino de la dicha ciudad de Burgos. //17 altars). King Juan n and his wife, Isabel of is an important document of official court taste
Another document of 1503 indicates that Simon Portugal, appear on the retablo, kneeling as and the sense of luxury and wealth that were
de Colonia and his son Francisco had carved donors. favored in its commissions. The tomb of the
several statues for the monastery of San Pablo. Gil de Siloe also executed the high altar of the Infante Don Alfonso, which shows him kneel-
The available documents show that Simon was Chapel of Santa Ana in Burgos Cathedral, ing in prayer, is located in a wall niche in the
in charge of the construction of the facade and which was commissioned by bishop Don Juan church. The garments are again richly embroi-
of the inner doors, and we know that it was he de Acuria, who appears kneeling in prayer in dered, with an openwork collar. The carving
who set up the workshop for the project. There one of the reliefs. The central motif is the Tree shows great technical virtuosity and is clearly
is no way of determining, however, how much of Jesse. Gil also worked on a second altar the work of Gil de Siloe himself.
of the sculpture is directly attributable to him. dedicated to Santa Ana, this one in the Capilla Gil de Siloe also carved the tomb of Juan de
It is clear that special care was taken with the del Condestable, Flemish rather than Spanish in Padilla, a page in the royal service who was
execution of the central relief of the Coronation type and similar to altarpieces actually executed killed in 1491, at the age of twenty, in a battle
of the Virgin, which includes the patron, bishop in Flanders and then brought to Spain. In its fought near Granada. This tomb was created at
Don Alonso de Burgos, portrayed kneeling in present form it combines sculptures by Gil with the request of the monastery of Fresdelval and
prayer. The facade was constructed like a retablo, others by his son Diego (cat. 50), creating vivid is now displayed in the Museo Arqueologico

52 CIRCA 1492