SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST ALTARPIECE

POLYCHROME DECORATION 

Rich sophisticated polychrome decoration. Abundance of burnished gilt frequently decorated in punched patterns and blue azurite alternating with whites and pastel colours. Tile and grassy ground decorations are partially gilded. 

Decorative techniques:

• Silver covered with translucent brown lacquer.

• Punched decoration made with different sized punches with a great variety of motifs (flowers with six petals, triangles, lines, etc.). 

• Inscriptions written in punched decoration on gilt.

• Finely dotted painted decoration on gilt, especially with geometric and imitation plant motifs.

• Inscriptions painted with finely pointed brushes on gilt and white.

• Areas of blue or black dots on gilt.

• Sgraffito on pinboards and other details. 

• Sgraffito inscriptions.

• Continuous applied brocade decoration on several garments, gilt and with fine details picked out in red and blue and areas without gilding.

• Local applied brocade decoration on azurite in the mantle of the altarpiece's saint.

• Metal applications: plants in polychrome decorated lead and gilt half spheres on azurite.