'It has been said that the art of Leonardo deprived the divine images of their last remains of ecclesiastical rigidity and humanized them to represent in them elevated human sensations ...'.
[Sigmund Freud (1)]
It is considered the masterpiece of that small group of artistic wonders that make up this small but genuine museum, content and continent, in some of the cloister rooms of this magnificent Gothic work, which is the Collegiate Church of Saints Cosme and Damián de Covarrubias: the Epiphany Or rather, since there are two and the other, in my opinion, does not detract at all, the Epiphany attributed to some outstanding disciple of Gil de Siloé-speculates with an anonymous character, whose activity in the area is called as Master of Covarrubias-, when not to Gil de Siloé himself.
The Epiphany to which we have been referring, forms the central part of a wonderful triptych, of an equally unknown author, whose characteristics can be seen, however, notable influences of flamenco nature, whose passages develop varied themes, however, influencing that alpha and omega, figurative cycle or ouroboros, of the divine sacrifice, exposing the main and known guidelines, which in this case, would correspond to the Nativity, Baptism and Transfiguration, reserving the last motive, as a reference to the titular saints of the Collegiate , to those who accompany two figures: one, representing San Antonio and another that, presumably, corresponds to the donor of the work, in this case, also anonymous, although, by the tonsure that is seen in his head, it must have been Some member of the curia, and also, as a sponsor, of certain relevance or social position.
Extraordinary wood sculpture, and keeping its original polychrome practically unalterable, the perfection of its details, certainly thrills. The wealth of expression of the characters, their naturalness and also their complexity make us think of replicas of nature, comparatively speaking, suggesting the posing of authentic characters, comparable to some Italian Renaissance representations, such as, for example, that made by Bottichelli in the year 1475 -year of the birth of Michelangelo-, painting Lorenzo de 'Medici and the members of his court, as witnesses in this same scene of the Adoration (2).
Humana could be considered - following the affirmation of Sigmund Freud with respect to the art of Leonardo da Vinci - that innate virtue that made man advance, curiosity, which denotes the Child bringing his hand to the edge of the open cup offered by Melchor and peering inside, while the gaze of the Mother remains absent, slightly enraptured and at the same time regal the face, perhaps self-conscious, immersed her thought in the role that has corresponded to interpret in this divine play of dice, in which she has been chosen, in turn, also as receptacle of the divine seed.
His forehead, clear, recalls in part and comparatively speaking, that relative, majestic and hieratic, that in the cathedral of Zamora popularly known as the Virgin Calva and whose characteristic -the forehead, immeasurably clear-, seems to correspond with certain features that are appreciated in the main characters of a large number of Flemish paintings from the fourteenth to the sixteenth centuries. It draws attention, as well, the cryptic message that is seen all along the edge of its mantle.
A mantle, whose folds, due to its shape, recall Philo of Alexandria and its theory of triangles-a detail found in the ornamentation of many Romanesque temples-pointing down towards the earth, towards that natural womb that is the cavern, and by default, the world of Hecate, of Proserpina, of Cybele ... in short, the world of the Goddess.
However, for details, it is interesting and at the same time reason for reflection and unusual detail, to see the cross that hangs from the neck of the Fusco or black king, Baltasar, who suggests a unification of creeds under such a symbol, that was far and it is to have been realized or to be realized. Interesting is, on the other hand, the attire of Gaspar, which reminds those metaphorical fishing kings, the santiagos and the roques pilgrims, whose representations abound in the hermitages and churches of the roads.
But more than the attire, properly speaking, it draws attention, its rosto: bullfighting, if you allow such a description, populated with hair and beard, comparable, saving the distances, if not to that head of ox that can be seen in the manger and that is located at the height of the cup that holds in your hand, yes at least remember the ancient Mesopotamian royal representations.
Finally, and independently of what we could extend, reviewing the multitude of details, commenting on the presence, also in the present Epiphany, of the figure of a dog, sitting on its hindquarters and with its head raised: barking at the Sun? To the moon?. In short: a masterpiece, of which it is not strange that they feel so proud in Covarrubias.
Notes:
(1) Sigmund Freud: 'Psychoanalysis of Art', Alianza Editorial, S.A., 2nd edition, Madrid, 1971.
(2) Benjamin Blech and Roy Doliner: 'The secrets of the Sistine Chapel', Santillana Ediciones Generales, S.L., 1st edition, Madrid, January 2010.
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NOTICE: originally published on my blog ARTE, MITOS Y ARQUETIPOS. Both the text, photographs, and video (with the exception of music, reproduced under a YouTube license) are my exclusive intellectual property. The original entry can be found at the following address: https://artemitosyarquetipos.blogspot.com/2017/04/una-brillante-epifania-atribuida-gil-de.html
