An altarpiece from the Church of Villahermosa has been exhibited at the prestigious Prado Museum in Madrid.
This week, the well-known altarpiece dedicated to the Institution of the Eucharist, located in the parish of La Natividad de Nuestra Señora de Villahermosa del Río, left for the Spanish capital to form part of an outstanding exhibition called ‘El espejo perdido: Judíos y conversos en la España medieval’ (The lost mirror: Jews and converts in medieval Spain).
This exhibition brings together works from various regions of Spain as well as from other places.
According to Joan Molina Figueras, the head of the Museo del Prado’s Department of Spanish Gothic Painting and curator of the exhibition, “this exhibition recovers a reflection of the medieval period: the representation of Jews and converts created by Christians in Spain between 1285 and 1492”.
He added that “during this period, images played a crucial role in the complex relationship between these three groups”.
On Tuesday, technicians carefully packed the different panels of this artistic ensemble attributed to the Master of Villahermosa (also known as Lorenç Saragossà) dating from between 1385 and 1390.
These works are painted in tempera on wood and were loaded into a climate-controlled van to ensure their safe transport to the Prado Museum. Today, the work will arrive at its destination to take part in this exhibition, which will open its doors on Monday 9 October and will run until 14 January 2024.
The altarpiece will then travel to Barcelona, the second venue for the exhibition, where it will remain on display at the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya until 26 May 2024.
The transfer of this work was made possible thanks to an agreement between the parish priest of Villahermosa, the Heritage Delegation of the Diocese of Segorbe-Castellón, with the approval of its delegate, Pedro Saborit, and the technician David Montolío, as well as the authorisation of the Vicar General of the Diocese, Javier Aparici.
This altarpiece is an exceptional piece that forms part of the impressive collection of panels in the parish church of Villahermosa del Río, and stands out for its unique iconography. It emphasises the importance of the Eucharist and depicts the Jewish community as one of its main antagonists, especially in the panel depicting the Holy Supper, the moment when Christ announces the institution of the Eucharist.
