Virgin of the Navigators – A painting in the altarpiece on display at the Casa de Contratación (House of Trade)
Virgin of the Navigators
This beautifully designed altarpiece is on display at the Hall of Audiences, in the Casa de Contratación (House of Trade) section of the Real Alcázar in Seville, Spain.
In the center of this altarpiece is La Virgen de los Navegantes (Virgin of the Navigators), a masterpiece painted by the Spanish painter Alejo Fernández sometime between 1531 and 1536. As you can see, the Virgin Mary is up in the clouds looking down at the ships floating in the sea. Her mantle covers many famous seafarers, including Christopher Columbus and Amerigo Vespucci, and indigenous people of the Americas. Flanking the central painting are the portraits of St. Sebastian, St. James the Great, St. Elmo, and St. John the Evangelist.
Established in 1503 by Queen Isabella I of Castile, the Casa de Contratación was an organization (somewhat similar to the East India Company) that controlled the trade in the Americas. Housed in the Real Alcázar of Seville, the Casa de Contratación had broad powers, including the approval of voyages. The current Hall of Audiences was part of it and was a chapel once. The altarpiece shown in the image belonged to this chapel.
Casa de Contratación pages
– Admiral’s Room
— Last Moments of Fernando III the Saint, a masterpiece by Virgilio Mattoni
— King Louis Philippe I of France
— Queen Maria Amelia de Borbón-Dos Sicilias
— King Fernando VII of Spain
– Hall of Audiences
— Model of Santa Maria
— Virgin of the Navigators
Other related pages and posts
– Seville Cathedral: An awe-inspiring architectural marvel
— Sala Capitular – The Chapter House of the Seville Cathedral
— Sacristía Mayor – The Main Sacristy of the Seville Cathedral
– La Giralda: A harmonious blend of Moorish and Renaissance architectural styles
– Las Setas of Seville – A modern artistic structure in a historical city
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