The Girona Art Museum incorporates new pieces in the rooms dedicated to Romanesque art and the Sant Feliu Altarpiece
- The Girona Art Museum has incorporated the Sagrada Família relief (12th century ) into its permanent exhibition , atrivert or linked tothe circle of Gilabert de Toulouse, in room 2, dedicated to the Romanesque, as well as new fragments of the altarpiece of Sant Feliu in room 9, one scope dedicated exclusively to this one artistic ensemble.
- In order to properly condition these spaces and integrate the new works, the rooms remained closed for a week. This intervention has also improved the presentation and vision of the pieces already on display.
- The new additions, which can now be visited, enrich the museum discourse and reinforce the commitment of the Girona Art Museum to the conservation of the artistic and historical heritage of Catalonia, and especially that linked to the Girona territory .
Sagrada Família relief , attributed to or linked to the circle of Gilabert de Tolosa
The Sagrada Familia is an outstanding stone high relief, dated to the second half of the 12th century and attributed to the workshop or circle of Gilabert de Tolosa. This sculpture, which Josep Puig i Cadafalch (1954) identified as a tympanum, is distinguished by its great artistic quality and the singularity of being associated with an identifiable master sculptor in the context of Catalan and European Romanesque.
The sculpture presents a seated Virgin Mary with the Child on her lap and another standing figure, identified as Saint Joseph. Despite the erosion that has erased the Child’s face and some chipping at the corners, it is preserved in good condition and allows the mastery of its author to be fully appreciated.
Its existence was known and had been documented in various private collections since 1835. Initially, it was part of the facade of a house in Breda, in the region of La Selva, from where it is thought to have come. Later, it was moved to Mas Riembau de Tona and, since 1970, it has been in a private collection in Puigcerdà.
The Girona Art Museum promoted its acquisition through the Department of Culture of the Generalitat de Catalunya. The work was documented as coming from the monastery of Sant Salvador de Breda and had been studied and published in several reference works, such as Romanesque sculpture in Catalonia by Josep Puig i Cadafalch (1954), Romanesque Catalonia (Catalan Encyclopedia) and other studies.
This work, which meets the conditions of exceptionality, quality and rarity, is culturally very valuable and complements the collection of the Girona Art Museum. It is thus added to the examples of relevant Romanesque workshops that are preserved and exhibited in the Museum, such as the examples by the Master of Cabestany from the monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes.
Altarpiece of Saint Feliu
During the year 2024, the Friends of the Art Museum donated of several fragments of the altarpiece of Sant Feliu de Girona, among which those that have been incorporated into room 9 stand out: a pinnacle and a figure of the guardapols. This figure, almost 123 cm high and about 90 wide, is the work of Pere Robredo, who was installed in Girona between 1507 and 1512. It was part of one of the sides of the altarpiece, called guardapols or pulseras, which surrounded the work as a frame.
The dust covers on the sides were dedicated to the iconography of the tree of Jesse, which represents the genealogy of Jesus Christ from Jesse, father of King David. This theme served to reinforce the link between the Old and New Testaments. The fragment, which shows a crowned figure carrying a mace in his hand, would correspond to one of these kings of the dynasty, although it is not possible to identify which one.
Future improvements: Discovery Point renovation
As part of the continuous improvement actions and incorporation of new pieces into the permanent exhibition, this Monday renovation work began on room 13, a space dedicated to the discovery of the pictorial process, where visitors can learn about the preparation processes (supports, techniques, etc.) and the natural origin of pigments.
As of today, Wednesday, February 12, this new room is once again open to the public.