Jorge Inglés facts for kids
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Jorge Inglés (who worked around 1450) was a painter and illuminator. He was active in Castile, a region in Spain, in the middle of the 15th century.
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About Jorge Inglés
We do not know when Jorge Inglés was born or when he died. His name, "Inglés," means "English." Because of this, many people believe he might have been born in England. His painting style suggests he may have learned his skills in the Low Countries (modern-day Belgium and the Netherlands).
The only official record we have about this painter is from a will. It is a special addition to the will of Íñigo López de Mendoza, 1st Marquis of Santillana, dated June 6, 1455. This document states that before June 1455, the Marquis asked Jorge Inglés to paint a special artwork. This artwork was the Altarpiece of the Gozos de Santa María, also known as the Altarpiece of the Marquis of Santillana. It was made for the chapel of the Castle of Buitrago del Lozoya. This altarpiece is seen as the first important Hispano-Flemish painting in Spain. The fact that the Marquis chose Jorge Inglés shows he was already a famous painter at that time.
His Artworks
Painting Style and Techniques
Jorge Inglés's paintings show that he knew a lot about Flemish painting. He was especially influenced by the work of Rogier van der Weyden. He also learned from Flemish tapestries and illuminated manuscripts (decorated books).
He was the first painter in Castile known by name to use the Netherlandish technique of oil on wooden panels. His drawing style was bold and strong. His figures look like sculptures and show a lot of emotion, especially in their faces and hands. He was also very good at painting rich, fancy clothes and the special patterns of Spanish fabrics.
Jorge Inglés made his painting scenes look bigger by using clever perspective. He filled indoor scenes with carpets, floor tiles, and decorative canopies. He paid close attention to small details to create a certain mood. He often included openings in his paintings to show a landscape far away in the background.
The Altarpiece of the Gozos de Santa María
Íñigo López de Mendoza, who ordered the Altarpiece of the Gozos de Santa María, was a famous poet. He was also very interested in science. López de Mendoza cared deeply about his family and the Virgin Mary. His love for the Virgin Mary is shown in his religious poems called the Gozos de Santa María. These poems inspired the altarpiece. Some of the lines from these poems are written on the scrolls held by angels at the top of the painting.
The altarpiece still has parts of its original frame and decorations. All the paintings done by Jorge Inglés are also still there. Below the main part, on the predella (the base of the altarpiece), are busts of important Church leaders. Íñigo López de Mendoza himself is shown there. This is the only surviving painted portrait of a nobleman from Castile. His wife, Catalina Suárez de Figueroa, is also shown kneeling before the Virgin. The image of the Virgin Mary in the altarpiece today is a replacement. The original one from the mid-15th century, which was Flemish, is now lost. The Marquis and his wife are joined by their page and maid in the painting. This important artwork has been on display at the Museo del Prado since 2012.
Other Known Works
Another artwork believed to be by Inglés is the retable (a type of altarpiece) of St Jerome. This piece came from a monastery in Olmedo, Valladolid. It is now kept at the National Sculpture Museum in the Colegio de San Gregorio. The seven panels at the bottom include a painting of St Sebastian wearing an unusual hat. The main panel shows St Jerome studying. Fragments of another retable in the church of Villasandino (Burgos) might be Inglés's last work.
Jorge Inglés also created many small, detailed pictures (miniatures) in books. These books were part of the collection of Marqués Íñigo López de Mendoza.
See also
In Spanish: Jorge Inglés para niños
