The Florentine Passion altar frontal has been beautifully restored

The passage of time

The history of the Florentine altar frontal, as the superb embroidery we are referring to is commonly known, is an erratic one and goes back a long way. It is no easy task for an item made of such delicate materials as silk thread, cotton and linen, to stay in one piece, and it has needed a number of repairs over the course of time to maintain its liturgical use. And such an item is even more delicate when it was made during the mid-14th century.

The frontal had, with the passage of time, been losing some of its threads and it had become dirty, stained and dusty. Insects such as moths had even been eating away at it.

Throughout its history there had been well-intentioned hands—not necessarily very expert ones—that had tried to maintain the frontal's appearance by darning it and adding patches where the fabric had deteriorated. On several occasions, however, the cure was worse than the disease and the additions ended up stretching the original fabric out of shape. Furthermore, the wooden frame supporting the fabric and keeping it taught had caused the edges to fray, resulting in the appearance of many holes, and the iron nails used to fix the material to the frame had rusted, causing the fabric to become discoloured.

Alterations of the frontal before the intervention: dirt, oxidations, holes, wax, patches with invasive embroidery (CRBMC)

A meticulous restoration

The restoration process could be compared to a surgical operation to save the life of a very delicate patient. The restoration team started by examining the frontal in the laboratory to find out about the different kinds of embroidery techniques used to produce it and to identify the materials used for the fibres and the dyes used for colouring. The fabric was also examined under various lights, ultraviolet and infrared light as well as with X-rays.

These techniques revealed the defects and the later additions. The frontal's historical documentation was borne closely in mind while conducting the physiochemical study. Everything is important when getting to know about the patient! Once all the necessary information had been collated it was possible to then make a diagnosis and plan the restoration process.

With the X-ray, a huge amount of nails of different types are observed (CRBMC)
Ultraviolet light highlights fabrics added to replenish loss of support (CRBMC)
Images with transmitted light allow to assess the fragility of the support and to detect areas where the silk threads had been lost and where paint was applied (CRBMC)

The restoration, step by step

The restorers embarked on a long and meticulous restoration process. They started by removing the supporting frame and the additional stitching that had deformed the fabric and which had, furthermore, obscured some parts of the original embroidery. They then gave the frontal a very thorough cleaning, both front and back, using different methods adapted to the various kinds of dirt to be removed, which included rust stains, candle wax, layers of dust, and the like.

The task then was to repair the snags, tears and alterations. The threads that had merely come out of place were put back in their place, one by one, but there were other threads that could not be restored, which exposed the tracing applied directly on the fabric as a guide for the embroiderer. Where the threads were entirely missing, leaving an empty space, they were replaced with new ones, specially dyed to the right colour.

The whole process culminated with the addition of a protective lining on the back of the frontal, which was also used to attach the frontal to its new support, so that the entire surface now rests on support panels in such a way that it is not taught and neither is the fabric nailed to the wooden structure.

Fastening broken or loose threads (CRBMC)
Extraction of oxidized nails (CRBMC)
Removal of non-original fabrics added to the front from the back (CRBMC)
Before and after the restoration process of one of the details. Old spots and freckles have been toned down (CRBMC)
Before and after the restoration process of one of the details. The fabric is relaxed, without creasing, and a very homogeneous cleaning can be appreciated (CRBMC)

Made-to-measure tools for the task

Every piece is unique and comes down to us through history in its own particular way. That is why conservationists and restorers have to think about every aspect so that every piece receives the most suitable treatment.

In this case we adapted a medical device to vacuum the dust that had accumulated on the fabric. The special thing about this micro-vacuum cleaner is that it is able to collect the particles that have been vacuumed, and that means we can check to make sure that no fragments of thread are removed, and if they are, we can recover them. Another important tool used by the restorers was the table on which the frontal, some three metres long, was laid. This table is so designed that it is possible to work on both the front and the back of the fabric, passing needle and thread in both directions with ease.

The professionals spread the front on the work table adapted to the dimensions of the piece (CRBMC)
The micro-aspiration device allows the controlled cleaning of the fabric (CRBMC)

The Passion altar frontal: silver and silk

Altar frontal, antependium or parament; there are many ways of referring to such liturgical items. Its purpose is to decorate the front of an altar or the panels during Christian religious services. They therefore have a central function and altars and frontals play a prominent role in churches. This Florentine frontal, however, draws attention because it is so exceptional.

It can be seen well even from a distance because of its size. It is three metres long. As you approach it you can see nineteen different scenes in frames, rather like the panels of a comic book. This was commonly the case with medieval altar frontals. The story told in these panels is the life of Jesus and a different scene is represented in each panel: the Birth of Jesus, the Adoration of the Magi, the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection. Every scene is full of detail, the facial expressions, the colours of the clothes and the landscaped backgrounds, all faithfully embroidered.

In the gigaphoto published on Giravolt it is possible to see them all very close. You can do it by clicking on this link. Through a study using photogrammetric techniques, an orthophotograph has been obtained, a geometrically exact photograph, which allows the pallium to be visualized in high resolution. Using the viewfinder, we can scroll through the image and zoom in to see every detail in exceptional quality.

Close attention reveals a unique aspect of this work: the name of the artist who created it. A phrase in Latin, embroidered in golden letters proudly announces the name of altar frontal's creator: "Geri di Lapo, embroiderer, made it in Florence".

The central register to the left of the front shows the Nativity scene (CRBMC)
Border of colored and golden threads that frames the scenes (CRBMC)
Detail of the embroidery done with the so-called "needle painting" technique on the colored clothes of the characters (CRBMC)
Gold thread embroidery details on hair and halo (Giravolt)

Who was Geri di Lapo?

It is not always the case that we learn all the details about the history of such old items. Fortunately, in this case, it seems we have all the pieces necessary to put together the puzzle concerning the provenance of the Passion altar frontal.

The first clue is evident from the embroidery itself: it was made in Italy, specifically, at the atelier in Florence of Geri di Lapo.

Documents confirm that the owner of the Florentine frontal was a certain Ramon Saera, who bequeathed it to the Seu de Manresa on his death in 1357. Ramon Saera was a very well-known personage in the city. His financial standing and the high esteem he held for his city led him to commission a made-to-measure frontal for this church in Manresa. Since the occasion merited it, he commissioned it to be made in Florence which, at the time, had the finest school of embroidery in Europe, and the atelier chosen was that of Geri di Lapo.

Detail of the golden letters of the inscription on the authorship of the front (CRBMC)
Inscription "GERI LAPI RACHAMATORE ME FECIT IN FLORENTIA" at the bottom of the embroidery (Giravolt)

Chicago vs. Manresa: a fate that was not to be

The Passion frontal was created to adorn the altar at the Seu de Manresa and, six centuries later, that is where it can now be seen. But things might have turned out very differently.

During the 1920s the United States magnate and art collector, Charles Deering, lived in Catalonia and owned a number of pieces that he has acquired there. He associated with well-known artists and it was thanks to one of them, the painter Miquel Utrillo, that he was made aware of the Passion altar frontal. Impressed by such an accomplished work he contacted the Bishop, Torres i Bages, with whom he would have to reach an understanding if he wanted to purchase the frontal. The bishop, however, died before he could authorise the sale, and his successor refused to do so on the grounds that he thought it would be a great loss for the people of Manresa.

If things had turned out differently, the Passion altar frontal might not now be in Manresa, but in the Art Institute of Chicago, next to other Catalan works from Charles Deering's collection.

Ramon Casas, Charles Deering and James Deering in 1909 (Deering Estate)
Portrait of Charles Deering, work of Ramon Casas (Wikipedia)

Homeward bound

A fine work of restoration is never finished in either the laboratory or the workshop. It is essential to prepare the place where the item is to be displayed and to ensure that it is transported with maximum security and safely.

Once the restoration work had finished, the Florentine frontal was returned to the Seu de Manresa, securely packaged in a crate specially designed to prevent it from being subjected to vibrations. Awaiting it at the church was a made-to-measure display case to house, not only the frontal, but also the humidity control and LED lighting equipment, the latter designed to illuminate the frontal with a constantly controlled intensity.

The display case is located in the middle of the Mare de Déu de Lourdes chapel in La Seu, on the aisle side where there is less sunlight. The sliding doors affording entrance to the chapel have been specially adapted to enable ease of access when it is necessary to perform the tasks of maintenance and supervision, while also making it more comfortable for people to admire the embroidery in its entirety at close quarters and in a liturgical setting.

The piece is placed in a packing box, well fixed, to prevent it from moving during transport
The front is moved to the Seu de Manresa and installed in the new display case
Presentation of the frontal in the new display case (CRBMC)
Detail of the frontal (Giravolt)

The medieval tradition of embroidery in Catalonia

It is quite possible that learning about this medieval jewel of embroidery might awaken people's curiosity about this art form and stimulate an interest in learning more about it. In such a case it is as well to know that such pieces, and of the highest quality, were made in Catalonia during the middle ages. Furthermore, many fine examples have survived, are well preserved, and are on display throughout the country.

The famous Creation Tapestry, for example, is on display in the Treasury-Museum of Girona Cathedral. Like the altar frontal, it has a religious theme, and is of surprising size. It is also remarkable on account of the embroiderer's skill and the large number of scenes and characters represented. It too was restored at the Catalan Centre for Conservation (CRBMC) with great success.

Other highly delicate works of embroidery from the medieval period are on display at the Episcopal Museum in Vic, such as bishop Ramon de Bellera's imposing velvet cape, on which are embroidered numerous figures in gold thread.

To close our tour of medieval Catalan embroidery, we have the renowned scene of Sant Jordi killing the dragon. It is in the chapel of the Palau de la Generalitat and we know the names of the people who made it: Antoni Sadurní and Bernat Martorell.

But there is more yet. Thanks to such things as the recent restoration of the Passion altar frontal, we know ever more about our country's medieval past. That, precisely, is the aim of the new “Temps de Gòtic” (Gothic Times) programme being run by the Catalan government's ministry of culture and “la Caixa” Foundation. The aim is to improve and conserve Catalonia's Gothic heritage through its restoration and protection, as well as raising awareness about it and stimulating the country's response to this heritage from the social, cultural and economic points of view.

Creation Tapestry (CRBMC)
Frontal of Sant Jordi of the chapel of the Palace of the Generalitat (CRBMC)
Mitra of Sant Oleguer of Barcelona Cathedral (CRBMC)

Heritage on the map

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