Virgin of the Navigators – A painting on the center panel of altarpiece on display at the Hall of Audiences
Virgin of the Navigators – A painting on the altarpiece
This beautifully designed altarpiece is on display at the Hall of Audiences, one of the two well-preserved halls of the Casa de Contratación (House of Trade) building in the Real Alcázar in Seville, Spain.
This altarpiece was installed to make the Hall of Audiences a chapel so that the visitors, especially the navigators who were ready to sail, could pray.
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 after the discovery of the New World. This organization had broad powers, including approval of voyages, licensing navigators, collecting taxes, and acting as a court of law to settle trade disputes.
Casa de Contratación Pages
– Admiral’s Hall
— 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
Seville Pages and Posts
– Real Alcázar of Seville: Casa de Contratación (House of Trade)
– Real Alcázar of Seville: Pedro I Palace – A masterpiece of Mudéjar art and architecture
– 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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