Golden Leather

-This embossed gilt leather tile represents a Virgin and Child in a central medallion affixed to a background of cut flowers. The Virgin Mary, standing in the middle of brownish clouds, dressed in her red dress enhanced by a blue mantle, carries the Child Jesus in her left arm and holds the scepter in her right hand. This medallion is affixed to a background of flowers; one seems to distinguish roses, lilies, marigolds.

-French work from the beginning of the 18th century.

-Among the orientations of the Council of Trent, the importance given to the Eucharist and its celebration through the mass had a major influence on the layout of churches and the evolution of their furniture. The focal point of the nave and then of the chapels where they then multiplied, the altar and the altarpiece were the subject of many attentions and embellishments. The altar had to be as sumptuous as its proximity to the mystery of transubstantiation required. On this parallelepipedic piece of furniture, the side visible to the faithful was carved or covered with a more or less precious covering according to the means of the parish or the donor. It could be painted canvas, embroidered or brocaded fabric, or even gilded leather.

-Golden leather is the material of this antependium. Only the addition of the religious scene in the medallion makes it possible to identify this type of object as the central panel of an altar front because most of the production of painted and gilded leather was used to upholster entire rooms such as wall hangings. This antependium originally consisted of several panels stitched together to form a large rectangle (three to six tiles were usually needed to achieve the desired width). The tile that we observe was the central element, the only one decorated with a religious scene. Before being differentiated by the presence of a medallion, this skin panel had been like the others, tanned, glued, completely covered with silver leaf then with a yellow varnish based on vegetable resins giving them the appearance gold. To obtain the relief, the technique implemented in the present case is that of repoussé. Each panel was placed on a hollow mold, gold side against the mold. Under the weight of the press, the leather hugged the hollows of the matrix. The repoussé made it possible to create a pronounced relief, visible here in particular at the level of the flowers. The chasing technique, close to the stamping technique, makes it possible to enrich the decorations, it was applied for the background (repetitive geometric patterns).

-Among the similar works, we can cite the antependium of Italian origin from the Chaumont museum representing the Virgin and Child appearing to Saint John the Baptist and Saint Anthony of Padua (Italy, 1697)https://saisonsculturelleschaumont .fr/evenement/tour-de-loeuvre/

-Bibliography: Jean-Pierre Fournet "Golden leather, Cordoba leather: A European art" 2019 Raphaêl Carreau "Baroque devotion: Treasures from the Chaumont museum, Latin America, Spain and Italy, XVIIth - XVIIIth century" 2010

Dimensions: width: 57 cm, height: 58 cm (with frame) width: 76 cm, height: 78 cm --