Altar frontal from La Seu d'Urgell or of the Apostles
Altar frontals formed part of the church's liturgical furnishings and were used to cover the front of the altar. This frontal, from the second quarter of the twelfth century, with tempera polychrome, is one of the masterpieces in the MNAC'S collection of painting on wood. In the central register we see a representation of the 'Maiestas Domini', or Christ in Majesty, set in a double mandorla, reminiscent of Carolingian models. On either side are the twelve Apostles distributed in a highly original triangular composition which gives rise to a clearly hierarchical arrangement of symmetry and space. The three rectangular compartments, with their bright colours, bring to mind the splendour of illuminated manuscript pages.
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Purchased 1905