Dissertation by Juan Antonio Olañeta
The condemnation of the prophet Daniel to the lions’ den is one of the Ancient Testament passages... more The condemnation of the prophet Daniel to the lions’ den is one of the Ancient Testament passages most represented in Christian art since its appearance in the catacombs. For centuries the image has modified some of its characteristics and has incorporated new elements, however, the posture and gesture of the prophet remains practically unchanged, until they experience a remarkable diversification of its variants and iconographic models in monumental sculpture of the eleventh and twelfth centuries. Much of these formal mutations reflect the allegorical polysemy of both Daniel and the lion, which, moreover, are behind the fortune that knows this image in the Romanesque. The abundant use of this Ancient Testament passage in the monumental Romanesque sculpture begins in important buildings governed by Benedictines and canons, to be extended, later by parochial churches. The elites of the civil society see in Daniel, not only a character to beg for the salvation of the soul, but also as an element of prestige and an example of justice. It is also an example for members of monastic communities who lead a retired life. The flexibility and symbolic richness of the prophet activates the different senses of typological reading, which allows him to play a key role in many iconographic programs. In many of them, Daniel's condemnation is an image that not only interacts with the receivers to which it is directed, but with the rest of the images of the ensemble, with which it establishes a symbolic dialogue in which rhetorical figures come into play as Parallels and allegories. We approach this study having as a fundamental tool a complete iconographic corpus that, integrated with geographic information systems, is designed to offer the most complete information about the characteristics and evolution of this polyvalent image.
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Articles in journals by Juan Antonio Olañeta
Lambard, 30, pp. 31-53, 2022
In these lines we report the location in a Swiss collection of six fragments of Romanesque wall p... more In these lines we report the location in a Swiss collection of six fragments of Romanesque wall paintings that belong to the churches of Santa Maria de Cap d’Aran, Sant Llorenç of Isavarre and Sant Iscle and Santa Victòria of Surp. The operation of purchase and removal of the three sets, belonging to the Diocese of Urgell, was negotiated on the initiative of Josep Bardolet and with the collaboration in the operations of the successive sales of Josep M. Gudiol i Ricart, with the bishopric between the years 1941 and 1953. The removal of the paintings was carried out by Ramon Gudiol. Some of the fragments in which the paintings were quartered could be sold, and very soon, abroad, specifically to The Cloisters in New York ‒Cap d’Aran paintings‒ and to The Toledo Museum of Art (Ohio) ‒fragments of Isavarre and Surp‒. Other pieces were scattered in various private collections, some known ‒A. Tàpies collection‒, others still unknown. Finally, the material that did not manage to be placed on the art market, ended up, a few years after its launch, entering the collections of the Art Museum of Catalonia and the Museu Diocesà d’Urgell. Of the six panels located, four were already known by specialists thanks to photographs preserved in the Mas Archive, but their whereabouts were unknown, at least for Catalan historiography. The other two, those of Surp, were completely unpublished. All of them had been part of Arthur Wilhelm’s collection and, after his death in 1962, were on deposit at the Kunstmuseum Basel until 2008.
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La Estela, pp. 14-19, 2021
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La Estela, 46, pp. 20-31, 2021
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Lambard. Estudis d’art medieval, 28, pp. 215-234, 2020
Two Romanesque buildings have been preserved in Agüero. The church of Santiago, though, has deman... more Two Romanesque buildings have been preserved in Agüero. The church of Santiago, though, has demanded greater survey by specialists. However, only trivial descriptions of the current parish church have been elaborated. The building has preserved a portal in which the intervention of two different workshops can be observed with an unequal technical ability. An attentive survey of its different structural elements allows us to confirm that it was adapted in order to incorporate a tympanum which was at first lacking, which could have come from the unfinished building of Santiago. This fact can be confirmed by the observation of the many formal similarities with the external and internal friezes of the church, as also by the use of similar measurement modules.
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Revista "Románico", n. 1, Asociación Amigos del Románico, pp. 36-43, Dec 2005
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Revista "Románico", n. 2, Asociación Amigos del Románico, pp. 54-59, Jun 2006
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Revista "Románico", 5, Asociación Amigos del Románico, pp. 48-57, Dec 2007
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Revista Ruta cicloturísticas del Románico, n. XXVI. Fundación Cultural Rutas del Románico) (Pontevedra). pp. 222-225, 2008
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Revista Románico, n. 7. Asociación Amigos del Románico. pp.38-47, Dec 2008
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Revista Codex Aqvilarensis n. 25. Fundación Santa María la Real, Aguilar de Campoo (Palencia). pp.7-34, 2009
We propose a new classifi cation of prophet Daniel in the lions’den iconography based on their co... more We propose a new classifi cation of prophet Daniel in the lions’den iconography based on their connections with any of the two versions of this tale in the Book of Daniel. Cantabria and the North of Palencia have many examples of this theme. After the iconography revision of the capitals of Santillana del Mar and Yermo one can conclude that they represent literally the most particular narrative details of both biblical episode versions. Besides, both ensembles might have followed a salvation program. Finally, we conclude that Pedro Quintana, whose name appears on Yermo’s portal inscription, was the sponsor instead the sculptor.
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Revista Románico, n. 12. Asociación Amigos del Románico. pp. 52-60, Jun 2011
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Revista Románico, n. 13. Asociación Amigos del Románico. pp. 48-57, Dec 2011
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Revista Románico, n. 14. Asociación Amigos del Románico. pp. 40-45, Jun 2012
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Butlletí de l’Associació d’Amics de l’Art Romànic del Bages, n. 172, pp. 5-6, Dec 2013
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Butlletí de l’Associació d’Amics de l’Art Romànic del Bages, n. 173, pp. 9-11, Apr 2014
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Butlletí de l’Associació d’Amics de l’Art Romànic del Bages, n. 174, Aug 2014
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Butlletí de l’Associació d’Amics de l’Art Romànic del Bages, n. 175, pp. 10-12, Dec 2014
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Revista "Codex Aqvilarensis" n. 27. Fundación Santa María la Real, Aguilar de Campoo (Palencia). pp. 93-107
Neoplatonic view of some medieval authors reveals how the religious elites felf the need for stim... more Neoplatonic view of some medieval authors reveals how the religious elites felf the need for stimulating, preparing and educating the man to reach the Truth defended by the Church. They were aware of how images could play an important role, insofar as they are a reflection of an above beauty. In this paper, we propose a link between this way of indoctrination by the images and the Four Sens of Scripture in the Romanesque period. Four Sens of Scripture, applied to images, could be considered as a path with many stages and intentions, fit to a variety of target persons with their own caracteristics and capabilities, and, also, adapted to the Church interests. We refer to Daniel in the lion’s den iconography as an example of all this approach.
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Revista "Codex Aqvilarensis" n. 28, pp. 93-113
The concern for the salvation of the own soul and the relatives, although already existed for cen... more The concern for the salvation of the own soul and the relatives, although already existed for centuries, in the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries moves to the doors of the churches. Donors decide to be represented in the doors accompanied by a saint who intercedes for their soul. In some cases, the scene, embedded within programs with eschatological sense, shows how the donor is worthy of the eternal life because he has performed the works of mercy that are listed in the Gospel of Matthew as prerequisite. We review the sense of the presence of donors on the front of the cathedral of Basel (Switzerland) and Mura (Barcelona) in relation to the Last Judgment and the scenes of charity.
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Dissertation by Juan Antonio Olañeta
Articles in journals by Juan Antonio Olañeta
Le lion apparaît également dans de nombreux épisodes faisant allusion à la lutte entre le bien et le mal, comme dans les scènes de Samson ou du roi David brisant la mâchoire du lion, le combat des lions et des griffons, ou encore celui de chevaliers qui, secourus par des anges, sortent victorieux du combat, ainsi que nous le voyons à Yermo (Cantabria).
De même que dans l’Antiquité, les portes sont les lieux habituellement choisis pour y inclure l’image des lions, autant à cause du sens protecteur de l’animal qu’en raison de la fonction pénitentielle de ces lieux. C’est peut-être pour cette raison que, dans bien des occasions, les lions sont représentés comme des bêtes androphages.
La dualité symbolique du lion s’adapte parfaitement aux programmes à caractère eschatologique représentés dans la sculpture romane, et qui sont si intimement liés à l’atmosphère obsessionnelle de l’époque concernant le salut de l’âme. L’un des exemples les plus significatifs de cette fonction eschatologique du lion apparaît dans l’épisode de la condamnation du prophète Daniel dans la fosse aux lions. Ainsi qu’il est évoqué dans un certain nombre de psaumes et de passages de la Bible, le lion est un être malfaisant qui guette l’âme du chrétien, représenté par Daniel. Ce dernier, parfait exemple du juste, parvient à sortir indemne de deux condamnations grâce à sa foi en Dieu. Ce triomphe final de la foi est habituellement représenté dans l’attitude des félins : ceux-ci manifestent leur soumission et leur douceur soit en léchant le prophète, soit en courbant le dos et en baissant la tête. Cette représentation contraste avec celle que l’on trouve dans un autre épisode de l’histoire de Daniel : le châtiment final de ceux qui ont intrigué contre le prophète, et sont alors dévorés par les mêmes lions. L’attitude ambivalente des bêtes sauvages, féroces et sans pitié envers les conspirateurs pervers, et dociles devant le juste Daniel, manifeste l’intention évidente de présenter un message allégorique lié à la Pénitence et au Jugement Dernier, dont nous trouvons un parallèle particulièrement clair sur le tympan de la porte occidentale de la Cathédrale de Jaca.
cases for assessing the integration of Navarre in the early Middle Ages in a Pyrenean
area, frequent field of model and artistic form transmission. One of the
ateliers of sculptors who worked at St. Peter ad Vincula of Echano made three
of the capitals at Sarbazan church, in Landes. We also found strong composition
and stylistic links between sculpture of St. Peter of Aibar and the church of
Mouchan (Gers). Certain parallels with Catalan works, allow to propose a virtual
recreation of the portal of the former church of St. Nicolas of Sangüesa.
Finally, it is proposed, based on the central France iconographic models of this
episode, the identification as Daniel for one of the figures in the spandrels of
the portal of Santa María la Real de Sangüesa.
–incluidos monumentos aún inéditos en 1930– y un especialista en heráldica castellana medieval.
En este libro, un grupo de investigadores nacionales e internacionales afrontan los retos e interrogantes de este arduo objeto de investigación y someten sus procedimientos y conclusiones al examen del lector. Los
capítulos sucesivos arrojan luz sobre la naturaleza material y cultural que caracteriza e informa las arcadas románicas del Mas del Vent, los contextos de procedencia, las circunstancias históricas de su ejecución, traslado y refacción, los paisajes de restauración, catalogación y venta de obras artísticas en las primeras décadas del siglo XX, y, en fin, su valoración social y su repercusión mediática. Dado que en cualquier investigación académica el conocimiento no puede ni debe considerarse concluido ni incuestionable, está sobradamente justificado afrontar de manera global y complementaria cada uno de los ángulos de una investigación apasionante. En este recorrido se comprenden las arquerías de Palamós en el marco de la pervivencia del patrimonio medieval durante la primera modernidad y las enrevesadas transacciones que lo revalorizaron y recrearon a lo largo del siglo XX.
Histórico. 28 al 30 de noviembre de 2023