Artwork
Altarpiece of the Saints John
Altarpiece of the Saints John is a tempera painting by the Byzantine icon painting artist Master of Santa Coloma de Queralt. It dates from 1356 and is held in the collection of the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya.
About this work
Overview
The Altarpiece of the Saints John, executed in 1356, is a wooden triptych attributed to the Master of Santa Coloma de Queralt. Currently displayed in the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, the work presents a central scene flanked by two subsidiary panels, each subdivided into smaller registers that combine figures and symbolic objects.
Subject & Meaning
The central register portrays two saints named John: the Apostle, shown as a woman in a blue robe with a white sash, and John the Baptist, rendered as a man in a red robe with a white sash. The surrounding registers depict additional biblical or hagiographic episodes, reinforcing the devotional function of the altarpiece within its original liturgical setting.
Technique & Style
Executed in a medieval visual language, the altarpiece employs bold outlines and a vivid palette of reds, blues, and a warm yellow ground. Figures are stylized with exaggerated gestures and elongated features, characteristic of the period’s iconography, while the compartmentalized composition organizes narrative scenes across the triptych’s panels.
History & Provenance
Created in the mid‑fourteenth century, the piece remained in the Catalan region before entering the collection of the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya. Its attribution to the Master of Santa Coloma de Queralt rests on stylistic parallels with other works linked to the same workshop.
Context
The altarpiece reflects the devotional practices of 14th‑century Catalonia, where triptychs served as focal points for private or parish worship. Its iconography, color scheme, and formal conventions align with contemporary ecclesiastical art, illustrating the transmission of Gothic visual motifs across the region.
Artist & collection
Artist
Master of Santa Coloma de Queralt
This anonymous painter from the 1300s made wooden altarpieces during the Gothic era, a time when religious scenes crowded gold backgrounds and halos glowed.
Altarpiece of the Saints John
Altarpiece of the Saints John
Altarpiece of Saint Vincent
Altarpiece of the Virgin
Altarpiece of Saint John the Baptist and Saint Stephen
Saint John the Baptist and Saint Catherine Altar Piece
Altarpiece of Saint George
Altarpiece of Saint Peter
Altarpiece of Saint Michael the Archangel
