History of an altarpiece: San Juan de Capistrano

One of the most emblematic works made by GRANDA is undoubtedly the large altarpiece of the San Juan Capistrano mission chapelin California, United States. It is an altarpiece of 14 x 9 mof baroque styleIt is a colonial Spanish art of the second half of the eighteenth century. It is a replica of the original destroyed by an earthquake in 1812, made by Majorcan craftsmen.

The altarpiece dresses the main nave of the chapel of the mission of San Juan de Capistrano. Construction of the church was begun in 1797 and completed in 1806. In 1833 the California missions were secularized and it was sold to private owners in 1845. The Mission was reestablished for Catholic worship in 1865. In recent years, a process of recovery of the temple began, culminating with the placement of this replica of the altarpiece made by GRANDA in its original situation. The only significant difference with the original altarpiece is the inclusion of the first Native American Blessed Blessed Catherine Tekakwithaborn in 1657 in Aurieville, New York.

The altarpiece was built entirely in Madrid, in the GRANDA workshops. The materials used were Brazilian cedar wood, steel, stucco, 24 carat gold leaf and pigmented brass. Various techniques The following techniques were used: carpentry, assembly, sculpture, carving, engraving, gilding, gilding, polychromy, painting on canvas and chiseling.

Iconography

The altarpiece is sign of Evangelization The central element is the missionary work carried out by the missions in California in the eighteenth century. The central element is the Holy Trinity which captures the moment of the Father's surrender to the Son for the redemption of mankind, guided by the action of the Holy Spirit. At the base is the canvas of the crowned Virgin in its invocation of Guadalupe. In the upper part of the left street appears fray Junípero Serra, founder of missions. In the lower part and at the height of the Virgin, is located San Jose with the flowered rod, while on the upper right side appears the Catherine of Tekakwitha, first saint from North America and at the bottom, St. Francis of Assisito whose order the first evangelizers belonged.

The altarpiece is articulated through Solomonic columns decorated with branches and bunches of grapes, symbols of the Eucharist. As a peculiarity, seventy swallowsThe columns, perched on the columns, refer to a singular event that took place in this city.