A Spanish Profile a.k.a. La Puerta Del Obispo, Palencia Cathedral

 

John Taylor Arms

  1887 - 1953 (biography)

1950  

etching 

13 3/4 x 6 13/16" platemark 

pencil signed, lower right 

308 

pencil dated 1950 after the signature and inscribed III in lower left; pencil titled in lower left corner of the sheet; stamped with JTA logo in lower center margin 

Fletcher 418; Spanish Church series #15; Arms 429; LOC 445 

light gray antique laid 

iii/iii 

artist 

24614 

$1,000.00 

Depicted in John Taylor Arms’ “A Spanish Profile” is the entryway to the Cathedral Basilica of San Antolin (or: de la Virgen; de Santa Maria), in Palencia, Spain. Dubbed “La Bella Desconocida” (the Unknown Beauty) as it less frequently sought out in comparison with other Spanish cathedrals, it is nonetheless a stunning example of architectural engineering, and is one of the largest houses of worship in Europe.

Arms has chosen to focus on the intricate Puerta del Obispo (the Bishop’s Door), one of five to grace the church and by far its most decorative. At the center of the flared arch is the figure of the Virgin, set between two small rose windows; to her left, seen at level with the door jamb, is a row of carved saints and prophets. The scene is made more striking by the contrast of light and shadow, lending drama to the already formidable structure.

Interestingly, San Antolin Cathedral has since gained attention for the unusual additions of the late 20th century: as renovations were made to the structure in 1995, architect Fernando Diaz-Pines added two carvings of aliens, or xenomorphs, from the recently-released Alien movie franchise to the peak of the exterior archivolt of the Gate of Kings, which sits near the Gate of Bishops. At the same time, an astronaut gargoyle was added to a neighboring cathedral in Salamanca, the Catedral Nueva, by designer Miguel Romero. One wonders if Arms’ keen interest in the details of architecture would have embraced these modern symbols of mankind’s interest in space and other life forms.