THE NATIVITY ALTARPIECE

POLYCHROME DECORATION 

Subsequently applied polychrome decoration with flat colours and pastel tones such as pink, orange, blue, pale green, etc.. The figure of the Holy Virgin with her pale incarnation and flushed cheeks is wearing a white tunic and mantle with a gilt border that is decorated with profusely-engraved geometric patterns. The midwife's white turban is also white with red piping, quite probably in imitation of its original pattern.

Different layers of colour may be observed in several places: these correspond to successive layers of polychrome decoration applied at different times. Under the glaze that today covers trees and rocks in the upper part of the altarpiece, we can catch the odd glimpse of gilt on a thin preparatory glaze; this may well be the original polychrome decoration.  

During earlier restoration work, some rectangular openings were made in order to study underlying layers (e.g. under the sleeve of Saint Joseph's mantle).