Mural Paintings from the Herrera Chapel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mural Paintings from the Herrera Chapel |
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| Artist | Annibale Carracci |
| Year | 1604–1606 |
| Type | Fresco transferred to canvas |
| Location | Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya & Museo del Prado, Barcelona & Madrid |
The Mural Paintings from the Herrera Chapel are a collection of beautiful wall paintings created by the famous artist Annibale Carracci and his team. These artworks were originally in a special chapel in a church in Rome. Today, you can find them in two different museums: the National Art Museum of Catalonia in Barcelona and the Museo del Prado in Madrid.
The Story Behind These Amazing Paintings
In 1602, a Spanish nobleman named Juan Enriquez de Herrera decided to build a special chapel. It was in the church of Santiago, a Spanish Franciscan church in Rome. He asked the well-known painter Annibale Carracci to create the artworks for this chapel.
Carracci was asked to paint a picture called Saint Didacus of Alcalá Presenting Juan de Herrera's Son to Christ. He also had to create many frescoes for the chapel walls. Frescoes are paintings made directly onto wet plaster, so they become part of the wall.
The work on these wall decorations, which showed scenes from the life of Diego de Alcala, began in 1604. Carracci started by designing all the main drawings, called "cartoons." These cartoons were like big plans for the paintings. However, he became ill while working on the project. Because of his illness, his helpers had to finish the paintings. These helpers included other talented artists like Giovanni Lanfranco, Sisto Badalocchio, and Francesco Albani.
Later, in 1851, the frescoes from the Herrera chapel were carefully moved. They were taken off the walls and put onto canvas. This was done at the request of a sculptor named Antonio Solá, and King Ferdinand VII paid for it. After being transferred, the paintings arrived in Spain. Now, they are shared between the MNAC in Barcelona and the Museo del Prado in Madrid.
About the Artworks
This collection of paintings includes 16 different pieces. Nine of these artworks are kept at the MNAC in Barcelona. The other seven are at the Museo del Prado in Madrid. All these paintings originally came from the former church of San Giacomo degli Spagnuoli in Rome.
The paintings show different scenes and figures. Some of them feature apostles, saints, and religious moments. Many of them were started by Carracci and then finished by his assistants.
Images for kids
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A general view of the Herrera Chapel paintings.
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Apostles around the Empty Sepulchre by Carracci and Francesco Albani.
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Miracle of the Roses by Carracci, Francesco Albani, and Domenico Zampieri.
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Assumption of the Virgin by Carracci and Albani.
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Everlasting Father by Carracci and Albani.
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Healing the Man Born Blind by Carracci and Albani.
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Saint Paul by Carracci and Albani.
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Saint Peter by Carracci and Albani.
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Saint Didacus Preaching by Carracci and Sisto Badalocchio.
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Apparition of Saint Didacus above his sepulchre by Carracci and Sisto Badalocchio.
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Apotheosis of Saint Francis (Museo del Prado).
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Apotheosis of Saint James the Greater (Museo del Prado).
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Apotheosis of Saint Lawrence (Museo del Prado).
See also
In Spanish: Pinturas murales de la Capilla Herrera para niños
