124 - Olot Valley (Catalonia)

Olot Valley (Catalonia) Polychrome panel, 18th century Oil on wood Height: 175 cm / Width: 156 cm ---------------------------------------------------- Assembled poplar panels secured and reinforced on the back. Original mounting. Separation of the panels has caused significant gaps in the main composition, paint chipping, various lacunae, and numerous old repaintings. Modern joint on the pediment. Additional photographs available upon request. ---------------------------------------------------- Large polychrome panel depicting, in its central scene, Christ on the cross surrounded by the Virgin Mary and Saint Mary Magdalene. In keeping with Catalan Romanesque tradition, it depicts a Triumphant Christ with a serene face, wide-open eyes, and a straight head surrounded by a halo, without a crown of thorns. The scene, painted in reserve within a circle, is framed by stylized pilasters supporting a trompe-l’œil cornice, surmounted by a scalloped pediment. The pediment is adorned with a painted medallion depicting flaming halos symbolizing the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, pierced by a cross and a flower. The lower section is decorated with a light-colored faux wood pattern set against a darker background. Olot beds (llit d’Olot in Catalan) are polychrome panels resembling small altarpieces, crafted by various workshops during the 17th and 18th centuries. Traditionally made of painted wood, these panels—which serve as headboards—are masterpieces of art and popular devotion, in which only the religious motifs were designed and painted by sought-after and renowned artists, while the decorative elements were executed by “assistants.” EXPERT: Mr. Laurent DESSE, Member of the Compagnie des Experts en Art & Antiquités, affiliated with the European Confederation of Art Experts - ldesse.artexpertise@gmail.com - expertisedart.fr