Altarpiece of the Saints John
Altarpiece of the Saints John
The lower left scene, taken from the Golden Legend, narrates the miracle telling of the conversion of wooden logs into gold ingots. Once miraculously made, the ingots are delivered to a silversmith, who did not know of their origin, so he could assay them and certify their quality. The interior of the smith’s workshop, with its forge and tools, is remarkable. In the Middle Ages, in mints such as that of Barcelona, the presence of smiths as assayers and smelters of precious metals would have been normal.
Altarpiece of the Saints John, Master of Santa Coloma de Queralt, c. 1356
Room 23