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Spain
Altar Frontal Depicting Scenes from the Life of Christ, 1575/1600
Silk, warp-float faced broken warp chevron twill weave with supplementary pile warps forming cut solid velvet; appliquéd with linen, plain weave, silk and gilt and silvered wire, plain weave with twill interlacing of secondary binding warps and patterning wefts; silk and silvered wire, twill weave; embroidered with silk, gilt- and silvered-metal-strip-wrapped silk and gilt and silvered wire in overcast, satin, padded satin, split, and stem stitches; laid work, couching, and padded couching; semi-precious stones; edged with woven fringes
106.7 x 236 cm (42 x 92 7/8 in.)
Gift of Mrs. Chauncey McCormick and Mrs. Richard Ely Danielson, 1944.623
Exhibition, Publication and Ownership Histories
Exhibition History
The Art Institute of Chicago, Masterpieces of Western Textiles, January 25–March 2, 1969
The Art Institute of Chicago, Raiment for the Lord's Service: A Thousand Years of Western Vestments, November 15, 1975–January 18, 1976
The Art Institute of Chicago, Agnes Allerton Gallery, Vestments and Liturgical Textiles from the Permanent Collection, July 27–October 9, 1983
The Art Institute of Chicago, Elizabeth F. Cheney and Agnes Allerton Textile Galleries, European Textile Masterpieces from Coptic Times through the 19th Century, September 27, 1989–January 22, 1990
The Art Institute of Chicago, Elizabeth F. Cheney and Agnes Allerton Textile Galleries, Textile Masterpieces from the Art Institute of Chicago's Collection February 17–May 2, 1993
The Art Institute of Chicago, Elizabeth F. Cheney and Agnes Allerton Textile Galleries, Gloria in Excelsis Deo: Heralding a Vestment Collection, September 11, 1996–January 12, 1997
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, The Body of Christ in the Art of Europe and New Spain, 1150–1800, December 21, 1997–April 12, 1998
(exhibited for only two months–c. 2/21/98)
The Art Institute of Chicago, Regenstein East, “A Case for Wine: From King Tut to Today,” July 11 – September 20, 2009
Publication History
King, Donald. Medieval and Renaissance Embroidery from Spain. Victoria and Albert Museum Yearbook 2. London: Phaidon Press, Ltd., 1970. pp. 55-64.
Mayer, Christa Charlotte. Masterpieces of Western Textiles from The Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago: The Art Institute of Chicago, 1969. no. 99.
Mayer-Thurman, Christa C. Raiment for the LordÕs Service - A Thousand Years of Western Vestments. Chicago: The Art Institute of Chicago, 1975. pp. 166-68.
Mayer-Thurman, Christa C. Textiles in The Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago: The Art Institute of Chicago, 1992. pp. 30-31, 144.
Bath, Virginia Churchill, Embroidery Masterworks. Classic patterns and techniques for contemporary application, (Chicago: Henry Regnery Company, 1972), page 28-32.
