Artwork

Nuestra Señora de Gracia y los grandes maestres de Montesa

Nuestra Señora de Gracia y los grandes maestres de Montesa, by Antoni Peris, tempera, 1412
Nuestra Señora de Gracia y los grandes maestres de Montesa, by Antoni Peris, tempera, 1412

Nuestra Señora de Gracia y los grandes maestres de Montesa is a tempera painting by the Early Renaissance artist Antoni Peris. It dates from 1412 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1412, this tempera panel by the Catalan painter Antoni Peris portrays a devotional scene now in the collection of the Museo del Prado. The work is titled *Nuestra Señora de Gracia y los grandes maestres de Montesa* and presents a solemn, gold‑laden background that emphasizes its religious purpose.

Subject & Meaning

At the centre stands a female figure, likely the Virgin of Grace, dressed in a flowing white robe edged with gold and a blue mantle, crowned and with arms extended in benediction. Surrounding her are several robed men, some bearing halos, who gaze upward, suggesting reverence toward the saintly intercessor.

Technique & Style

Executed in tempera, the painting employs the medium’s characteristic flat, luminous surfaces and precise brushwork. The gold background, pierced by radiating light shafts, creates a timeless, otherworldly atmosphere typical of early 15th‑century Iberian devotional art.

History & Provenance

Antoni Peris, active in the early 1400s, produced this panel for a specific religious community linked to the Order of Montesa. The work eventually entered the national collection and has been displayed at the Prado since its acquisition, where it remains part of the museum’s medieval holdings.

Context

The composition reflects the devotional practices of the Crown of Aragon, where Marian veneration and the patronage of military orders were intertwined. The inclusion of the “grand masters” underscores the painting’s role as a visual affirmation of the order’s spiritual allegiance to the Virgin.

Artist & collection

Artist

Antoni Peris

Antoni Peris (1365–1436) was an artist, born in Valencia.

Museo del Prado

Museum

Museo del Prado

Continue through works from the same source collection.

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Museo del Prado open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.