Part 4

In 1568 Navarrete was invited by Philip to the Escorial, where he executed some work upon the high altar. A few years later the artist was commanded to paint other thirty-two pictures for the king. El Mudo was accused of indecorum in his work by representing angels with beards, and this is shown by the contract with the high clerics of the Escorial, who laid down that: ‘Whenever the figure of a saint is repeated by painting it several times, the face shall be represented in the same manner, and likewise the garments shall be of the same colour, and if any saint has a portrait which is peculiar to him, he shall be painted according to such portrait, which shall be sought out with diligence wherever it may be; and in the aforesaid picture the artist shall not introduce any cat or dog or other unbecoming figure, but only saints and such things as incite to devotion.’

One of the wall paintings of the Choir represents San Geronimo, or St. Jerome, expounding the Scriptures; another shows him writing, and a third depicts the interment of the saint, San Lorenzo, while the Pope is the subject of one of the frescoes, which were painted by Cincinato. The pictures by Lugato in this part of the church illustrate Charity, Hope, Faith, Prudence, and Justice, while others portray San Lorenzo and San Geronimo. During the struggle with France many objects of art were removed from the Choir.

The organs are exceedingly handsome. One of them is said to be the finest in tone in the Peninsula. By the side of the chief choir are the lesser cross, or choirs, containing a small marble capilla. The statue of San Lorenzo was carved from a Roman effigy, which was headless and without limbs when it came into the possession of Philip II. Giordano’s ceiling is painted with episodes in the life of David. This painter was a follower of the powerful Ribera, and his influence upon Spanish art was somewhat detrimental, for he imposed an alien style, and produced works that example the decline of the Spanish schools.

A hall behind the ante-choir is known as the Library, and here the music books are stored. The books are very beautifully bound, and written by masters of the art of caligraphy. There are three pictures in this apartment: the best is by Navarrete, a scene of the ‘Crucifixion’, with San Juan and the Virgin. The work by Herrera Barnuevo is poor. Van Bosch, or El Bosco as he was styled in Spain, painted the allegorical picture in this hall.

The ‘Panteon de los Reyes’, the royal sepulchre, was finished in 1654. It was intended that it should be severely plain; but after the time of Philip II., those who continued the work, indulged their fancy for gilt decoration. A portrait of Father Nicolas is seen as we enter the staircase of the vaults; and after descending about a score of steps, we reach the Panteon de las Infantas and the Panteon de los Infantes, where rest the remains of the two sisters of Charles V., Don John of Austria, and other royal persons. This part of the royal vaults is not of especial interest architecturally, and a more adequate place of sepulture is now being constructed.

The doorway of the vaults is of marble and bronze, and there is a tablet with the following inscription: ‘To the very good and very great God; sacred spot dedicated by the piety of the Austrian dynasty to the mortal remains of the Catholic kings, who await the desired day under the high altar consecrated to the Redeemer of the human race. Charles V., most glorious of the emperors, resolved this place to be the last bed of himself and his lineage; Philip II., the wisest of kings, designed it; Philip III., a monarch sincerely pious, continued the work; Philip IV., great for his clemency, his constancy, and his devotion, augmented, adorned, and terminated it in the year of the Lord 1654.’

The figures of Italian bronze near the tablet, symbolise Humanity and Hope. From this point the descent to the tombs is made upon steps of marble, with three landings, until an octagonal chamber is reached. A great candelabrum of bronze hangs here, and there are relief figures of the Apostles. The decorations of this vault of jasper and marble were executed by Fanelli. The materials used for the altar in this chamber are black marble and bronze. Two lay-brothers of the Escorial made the bronze Entombment of Christ.

In the niches rest twenty-six urnas containing the ashes of Spanish sovereigns. The kings are Charles V., Philip II., Philip III., Philip IV., Charles II., Luis I., Charles III., Charles IV., and Ferdinand VII. On the left of the altar are the remains of Isabella, wife of the Emperor Charles, Anne of Austria, Margaret, Isabel of Bourbon, Mary Anne of Austria, Maria of Savoy, Maria of Saxony, and Maria Luisa of Bourbon.

Ferdinand VII. used to attend Mass at midnight in this damp, chilling, and sombre sanctuary, where rest the bones of so many of his ancestors.

The construction of the church represents a large square, and the pillars form a cross. Four immense square columns support the whole superstructure, and surrounding these are twenty-four large arches. The carved and gilded woodwork is the work of Flecha, an Italian artist. At the end of the lesser naves are domes, eight in number. The Great Dome has eight windows, with Doric columns, and it is surrounded by a balcony. An ascent can be made to the top of the dome, where there are a large lantern, a spire, and a tall weathercock above the cupola. The height from the ground is 330 feet. In the pyramidal spire, Philip II. enclosed a case containing relics of St. Paul, St. Peter, and St. Barbara.

The pavement of the church is made of variegated marbles. In the reign of Charles II., the vaulting of the principal dome was pointed, but before the time of that monarch, it was stuccoed, and spangled with blue stars. Giordano was commissioned with the work of decorating this part of the building with eight frescoes. These pictures are described by O’Shea as ‘hurried, yet faithful, and the colouring very fine, though somewhat tarnished by damp.’ Later critics have, however, pointed out the traces of serious degeneration in the work of Giordano. Among the paintings are the ‘Adoration of the Magi,’ the ‘Conception,’ and the ‘Last Judgment.’

Jordaens was the artist selected to paint the works in the minor domes. It has been stated that the frescoes were finished in seven months. We need not describe each one in detail. The dome in the chief nave has a ‘Resurrection,’ in which we see the Saviour upon a throne of clouds, with the Holy Mother by his side, and from the tombs emerge the frames of the dead, some of which ascend to Paradise. In the dome over the Chapel of Our Lady there is a painting of the Virgin in a chariot, attended by maidens; and in another dome the scene is from the Old Testament, representing Joshua’s defeat of the Amalekites.

The Capilla Mayor is notable for its Doric features, black marble pilasters, bronze figures, and the splendid high altar. The chief chapel is approached by an arch on three pillars, dividing it from the other parts of the edifice, and the altar is of marble and jasper. It was consecrated in 1595 by Philip II., in honour of the Blessed San Lorenzo, and within were placed the relics of San Pedro, San Tomas, San Sebastian, and other holy personages. The fine work on the screen cannot be well seen in the uncertain light; but it merits close inspection for its scheme of exemplifying all the orders of pagan architecture in jasper and bronze.

Upon one division of the altar screen are two paintings by Tibaldi, the ‘Birth of Christ,’ and the ‘Adoration of the Magi.’ Tibaldi was a pupil of Michael Angelo; but his productions have little of the spirit of his master, and there is none of his work in the Escorial upon which we can write with great enthusiasm.

The ‘Flagellation,’ by Zuccaro, is seen in the second or Ionic section of the altar screen. This is supposed to be the best work of the painter, who came at the invitation of Philip II. to paint at the Escorial, in the place of Paul Veronese. Zuccaro’s art was so inferior that his royal patron condemned most of his pictures; and Tibaldi, a not very excellent substitute, was bidden to repaint several frescoes. Finally, the Venetian painter was asked to leave the Escorial.

Pompeio Leonius, or Leoni, was the designer and caster of the metal statues that ornament the splendid screen, though some of the work was intrusted to the artist’s father, Leon Leoni, sometimes called Arezzo. These two natives of Milan were retained by Philip II. to produce statues at the Escorial, and besides this work on the altar they produced the figures of Charles V., Philip, and other members of the Royal House, which stand between the centre columns. These figures are of bronze gilt, about thirteen feet in height. The Emperor kneels before an altar, his head bare, invoking the assistance of God. Isabella is by him, and the other statues represent the Empress Maria, and the Princesses Eleonora and Maria. On the other side are the figures of Philip II., Anna, Isabella, Doña Maria of Portugal, and Don John of Austria.

In the Oratories there are some paintings by Pantoja de la Cruz, who was a pupil of Coello. Pantoja was a native of Madrid; he was Court portrait painter to Philip II., and afterwards to Philip III. Besides his work at the Escorial, he painted several canvases for the Royal Palace at Madrid.

In one of the chambers of the Oratories are the table and chair belonging to Philip II.

The Sanctuary has some frescoes by Tibaldi, depicting scenes from the Old Testament; the fresco of ‘Elias’ was the artist’s first picture for the Escorial. A handsome tabernacle demands notice, both for its art and the fact that it was destroyed by the French, and afterwards repaired by Ferdinand VII. The work is by Juan de Herrera and Giacomo Trezzo of Milan.

In the Relicario few objects survived the plundering of the French; but Carducci’s pictures of saints should be seen, and a metal statue from Messina is of interest. A number of skeletons and precious bones of saints and pious persons are guarded in the Relicario. There are also a part of the gridiron upon which San Lorenzo was martyred; some pieces of the Holy Cross; thorns from the crown of Christ; part of the garment of the Holy Mother; a bone of St. Paul, and many other treasures which cannot be enumerated.

In the Ante-Sacrista the vaults were painted by Granelo and Fabricio: a reputed Andrea del Sarto is here; a painting by Van der Velde, San Juan by Giordano, and San Geronimo by the vigorous Spanish artist Ribera, the master of Luca Giordano.

The Sacristy contains a number of paintings, including a work by El Greco, the ‘Dream of Philip II.’ This eccentric genius painted for some time at the Escorial; but his gifts were not fully appreciated by the royal patron, who seems to have possessed a preference for the work of the Italian romancists rather than the bold, truthful productions of the stronger Spanish School of painters. In the hall will be seen several pictures by artists of Spain: among others are works by Zurbarán and Ribera, while foreign painters are represented by Tintoretto, Titian, Guido Reni, and Paul Veronese. Tintoretto’s work was painted for a church in Venice, but came into the hands of King Charles I. of England, and was purchased for Philip IV. of Spain after the downfall of Charles. The subject is ‘Washing the Apostles’ Feet.’ Some beautiful needlework is preserved in the Sacristy, designed by Navarrete, and worked by the monks. The altar of the Sacristy has carvings in marble upon the screen, and a painting by Coello, containing portraits of several notable persons, including Charles II. Coello worked for about six years upon this picture, which was first undertaken by Rizzi, who was overtaken by death during his labours.

Surrounding all the altars of the church are paintings of more or less interest, which principally demonstrate the Italian influence. Luis de Carbajal is the painter of several of these pictures. He was the pupil of Juan Villoldo, a very mannered artist, and a follower of Navarrete. Below the Choir will be found a painting of Carbajal, ‘Sixtus and St. Blasius,’ and another of his works is in the Capilla, also representing saints. Navarrete, Coello, and Tibaldi, are among the other painters of the altar-pieces in the various chapels.

The pulpits of the Capilla Mayor are very ornate. They were made under Ferdinand VII. from various marbles and stone, with decorations of polished metal, and the designs were prepared by Urquiza.

IV

THE ROYAL MONASTERY

On the south side of the church is the Patio de los Evangelistas, the Court of the Evangelists, a square of 166 feet, with two-storied cloisters in the Grecian style. The Hieronymite Order of Monks have always regarded the cloisters of their abbeys with the same reverence as the interior of the buildings, and the galleries of the Court of the Evangelists are resorts for quiet meditation and devotion. An ornamented, vaulted ceiling is supported upon arches and pillars; there are windows of tinted glass, and wall pictures, and a series of niches for altars. In each of the niches or ‘stations’ the walls are adorned with paintings. Monegro’s statues of the Apostles are in the court, and there are four fountains of marble and beds of flowers.

We have read that Philip II. desired his edifice to serve as a monastery for the Order of San Geronimo, or St. Jerome, who was the father confessor of the great warrior, El Cid. Charles V. had spent the closing years of his life among the monks of San Geronimo at Yuste, near Plasencia, and his son, Philip, deemed it appropriate that the brothers of that order should inhabit and rule the Escorial. The first band of monks lived in a temporary monastery while the big religious house was being constructed. One of the most famous of the brothers was Villacastin, who placed the last stone of the edifice on September 13, 1584, and saw the first stone laid twenty-two years before the final ceremony of consecration. Father Sigüenza was the priest who officiated at the first Mass in the new church. He died in 1606, about three years after the death of the venerable Villacastin, who reached the age of ninety.

The Convent of San Lorenzo adjoins the Court of the Evangelists. Running from the old church to the annexe of the Sacristy are the Salas Capitalares, comprising two large halls and an ante-chamber. Two paintings by Titian are in the halls: one of ‘San Geronimo in the Wilderness,’ and the other ‘Devotion in the Garden.’

The painted ceiling is by two Italian artists, Granelo and Fabricio, and the pictures on the walls are by artists of different nationalities. Navarrete executed ‘Abraham and the Angels’; and Ribera’s ‘Birth of Christ’ and ‘Æsop’ are here. But more important than these is the work of Velazquez, the ‘Sons of Jacob,’ the only picture of the great master among the Escorial collection. This was one of three pictures which Velazquez painted at Rome and sent to his father-in-law, the versatile Pacheco, artist, canon, and historian.

The pictures by Bassano were probably among those brought from Italy by Velazquez when he went on a mission for Philip.

In the Prior’s Hall there are several examples of the work of the Italian illuminators, some of which came from the collection of Charles I. of England. There are an ‘Entombment’ and ‘Christ in the House of the Pharisee’ by Tintoretto. Three of Titian’s works adorn the hall: ‘Our Lady of Grief,’ the ‘Last Supper,’ and the ‘Prayer in the Garden.’

The original church has an altar of marble, with paintings by Titian of the ‘Adoration of the Magi’ and ‘Ecce Homo.’ The ‘Entombment’ is a copy of Titian’s picture in the Prado Gallery at Madrid. Many of the paintings have been removed from the old church to the Prado, but among the notable canvases remaining are the ‘Martyrdom of St. James,’ an ‘Annunciation,’ by Paul Veronese, and Zuccaro’s ‘Birth of Christ.’ The most important is perhaps the picture by El Greco of ‘St. Maurice.’

On the handsome staircase there are more pictures from the brush of the facile Giordano, one of the most rapid of painters. One of these frescoes represents the founding of the Escorial, and it has a figure of Philip II. inspecting the designs of the architects, Juan Bautista de Toledo, Herrera, and Antonio Villacastin. There is also a portrait of the king’s jester, D’Antona. San Lorenzo and the Virgin are depicted in the centre of the dome, and there are portraits of Charles V., San Fernando, and San Geronimo in the group. The portraits of the Emperor Charles, Philip II., Charles II., and other royal personages are said to be excellent likenesses.

The Upper Gallery of the Cloisters is decorated with several paintings by Barrocci, Giordano, Carducci, Juan de Gomez, Navarrete, and Sebastian Herrera. Navarrete’s works are of principal interest; they are ‘San Geronimo,’ the ‘Birth of Christ,’ and the ‘Appearance of Christ to His Mother.’

The Lecture Hall contains a ‘Resurrection,’ painted by Paul Veronese, and some copies of Titian and Rubens. Navarrete’s ‘Burial of San Lorenzo’ is a fair instance of this artist’s manner, and may be considered the most interesting picture in the room.

In an adjoining small apartment there are many treasures, curiosities, and objects of art. This collection was despoiled by the French soldiery, but a considerable number of relics have been preserved. Among them is a manuscript by St. Augustine concerning the christening of children, dating from early in the seventh century. St. Teresa of Avila, who was a guest at the Escorial, wrote the four works which are kept here. One of the volumes is an Autobiography of the saint, and another is a work upon _The Road to Perfection_. The two other books are codes and regulations concerning the religious houses which Santa Teresa founded.

The full title of the celebrated Spanish saint is Maestra Serafica Madre Santa Teresa de Jesus. She was born in 1515, and took the veil in her youth. Philip II. collected and preserved her writings at the Escorial, and Philip III. urged the canonisation of the saint in 1622. At the death of the patroness of Spain, the souls of thousands of martyrs appeared at her bedside. Santa Teresa’s writing-desk and ink-bottle, and an autograph of the Saint are among the most treasured relics preserved in the Escorial.

Among the sacred relics are a portion of the gridiron of San Lorenzo, a piece of his clothing, and the veil of St. Agata.

The statue of San Juan is by Nicolas. A jar which was placed here in the time of Philip II. is reputed to be one of the original vessels which held the wine at the marriage feast of Cana.

There are several pictures of the French and Flemish schools in this room, including ‘San Geronimo,’ by Holbein. Bassano and Zuccaro are represented, and there are a few paintings in the Florentine style, but none of especial merit. Maëlla, a Spanish painter, who worked between 1739 and 1819, had some reputation as a fresco designer, and became a Court artist under Charles IV. at the time when Goya was producing some of his finest pictures. Goya subsequently took the place of Mariano Maëlla as the king’s painter. In this room there is an ‘Immaculate Conception’ by Maëlla.

A brother of the Order of San Geronimo painted the ceiling, and another monk carved the figure of their patron saint upon the altar screen.

Portraits of the fathers of the Monastery are hung in the Upper Prior’s Chamber. The paintings are mostly by minor Spanish artists and Italians who worked at the Escorial. Sanchez Coello’s portrait of Padre Sigüenza, the earliest chronicler of the Monastery, has been copied and hangs here. In an ante-chamber are oil-paintings by Giordano and copies of pictures by Reni, Raphael, and Rubens. The ‘Conception’ is by Francisco Bayeu, a contemporary of Maëlla, who painted frescoes in many of the Castilian churches. Bayeu’s daughter, Josefa, was the wife of the brilliant Goya.

The Prior’s Oratory contains portraits of Charles III. and Maria of Saxony and an old German picture of saints. There is also a sculpture of the ‘Conception.’ The Lower Prior’s Chamber or cell has the one work of Francisco Urbino to be seen in the Escorial, a fresco of some interest. There is a picture by Pantoja, a portrait of the Emperor Charles in his youth. The portraits of Maria Luisa and of Charles IV. are copies from Goya’s works. Vicente López, who painted the portrait of Maria, wife of Ferdinand VII., was a painter of some eminence and a contemporary of Goya. López executed one of the best portraits of Goya.

The Carreño portraits in this apartment are good examples of the work of this artist, who belonged to the school of Madrid. Carreño de Miranda was a pupil of Pedro de los Cuevas, and a follower of Velazquez, who obtained for him a commission to paint pictures of the Royal Palace of Madrid. Carreño was made a Court painter after the death of the great Velazquez, and many of his pictures are to be seen in the churches of Spain and at the Escorial.

Doña Luisa Roldan’s figure of San Miguel is in the vestry. This is a specimen of the wood carving for which the sculptors of Spain were famous. The art of carving effigies in wood was revived successfully in Andalusia by Martinez Montañéz, who died in 1649; and among his followers were Pedro Roldan and Hernandez, who produced a large number of carved images for churches and for exhibition in religious processions. Doña Luisa Roldan, a daughter of Pedro, owed her inspiration to the master of this art, but her achievements fall short of the perfection which he attained.

There is a story concerning this señora’s work in the Escorial. It appears that after a tiff with her husband, Luisa Roldan carved the figure of San Miguel, and represented her own seraphic countenance in that of the saint, while the scowling demon at his feet exhibits the features of the irascible husband. The pictures in the vestry are mostly copies of Titian and Tintoretto, but the ‘Martyrdom of San Pedro’ is said to be an original work of Caravaggio.

In the four Minor Cloisters are several pictures. One is an anonymous work, a landscape, and the others, of no great merit, are portraits of saints. The crucifix to be seen here was the work of an Indian convert to Christianity.

The spacious Refectory has dining tables of wood on stone pillars. Over the foundation stone is the Prior’s seat, and there are two pulpits in the hall. The kitchens, wine cellars, and other domestic offices are in this part of the monastery.

The Real Monasterio is the most characteristic portion of the huge pile of the Escorial, and its austerity and atmosphere of contemplation and piety testify to the religious and ascetic spirit of the royal recluse who founded it. This is no palace of mere delight and of luxury. It is a temple and a retreat, a sanctuary from the world of strife and unrest, and an asylum for the penitent and the devout. It is a monument of the Catholic faith, built with the devotion of artists and labourers inspired by a deep zeal for religion, erected without regard to the immense cost of its construction and furnishing, and dedicated in the name of the pious San Lorenzo to the worship of God and the Holy Virgin. Truly a strangely interesting memorial.