Bernat Martorell facts for kids
Bernat Martorell (died in 1452 in Barcelona) was a very important painter in Barcelona, which is in modern-day Spain. He is known as the most significant artist of the International Gothic style in Catalonia. Martorell created large paintings for altars called retables. He also made beautiful pictures for books, known as manuscript illuminations. Besides painting, he carved sculptures and designed patterns for special embroideries.
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Who was Bernat Martorell?
We don't know much about Bernat Martorell's early life before 1427. However, by the mid-1400s, he had become one of the top artists in Catalonia. Martorell's painting style was quite different from earlier Catalan Gothic painters. His work showed that he knew about paintings from Flanders (a region in Europe) that were being made at the same time.
Some people think Martorell might have painted the Retable of Saint John the Baptist. This artwork is now in the Museu Diocesà de Barcelona. If he did paint it, it could help explain how his unique style developed.
Martorell's Early Works
One of Martorell's earliest paintings that still exists is Saint George Killing the Dragon. He created this artwork in the early 1430s. It shows his patron saint, Saint George. This painting already displayed complex designs, rich colors, and very fine details. These artistic skills were new to Catalan art before Martorell.
Around the same time, Martorell also drew pictures for books like the Ferial Psalter and the Book of Hours. He also painted the Predella of the Passion of Christ. This artwork is now in the Museu de la Catedral de Barcelona. Two other altarpieces, the Retable of Saint Vincent and the Retable of Saint Lucy, were likely painted in the 1430s.
Important Commissions
In 1437, Bernat Martorell received a special job. He was asked to create an altarpiece for a church in Púbol. This altarpiece, called the Retable of Saint Pere de Púbol, is dedicated to Saint Peter. It is now kept in the Museu d'Art de Girona. This is the only artwork that we know for sure was painted by Martorell. He finished it in the early 1440s.
Other paintings, like the Retable of Saint John from Vinaixa and the Retable of Saint Michael from La Pobla de Cérvoles, have a very similar style. These later works by Martorell show even more attention to tiny details.
Between 1445 and 1452, Bernat Martorell created two more important altarpieces. These were the Retable of the Transfiguration for the Barcelona Cathedral and the Main Retable of Santa Maria del Mar for the cathedral of Santa Maria del Mar. It is also believed that Martorell designed the patterns for a special embroidered cloth. This cloth, called the altar frontal of Saint George, was made by Antonio Sadurní between 1450 and 1451.
Famous Artworks
- The Beheading of St. John the Baptist and Salome Presenting His Head to Herod
- The Nativity
- Altarpiece of the Saints John, found at MNAC Barcelona
- Saint George Killing the Dragon, located at the Art Institute of Chicago
- Enthroned Virgin and Child with Personifications of the Virtues of Temperance, Fortitude, Justice, and Prudence, at the Philadelphia Museum of Art
Gallery
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Crucifixion of Santa Eulàlia, painted between 1427 and 1437.
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Martyrdom of Saint Lucy, painted around 1435-1440.
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Martyrdom of Saint Eulalia, painted between 1442 and 1445.
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Saint Michael, Martyrdom of Saint Eulalia and Saint Catherine, painted between 1442 and 1445.
See also
In Spanish: Bernardo Martorell para niños
