RELIEF OF THE MAIN ALTARPIECE

In 1743, restoration work was carried out on the main altarpiece of the parish church of Azougue in order to accommodate a new side-chapel containing the figure of the saint after which it was named: Our Lady of Bethlehem. That was when the decision was taken to relocate the fifteen Mysteries of the Rosary that used to form part of the former Gothic altar. In so doing, however, the "tops" or canopies that had hitherto protected the figures, were done away with. Neither was the Pentecost Mystery finally included.

The Baroque transformation considerably altered the depicted scenes, whose positions had already been altered after a robbery in 1981, which is the reason why it is very difficult to determine their exact origins. The majority of them are today missing any references to landscapes, something that was customary in Flemish art; some of these, however, may still be seen in the reliefs depicting the Nativity, Prayer in the Garden and, to a lesser degree, in the Ascension to Heaven. This same inspiration can also be observed in the relief depicting the Swooning of the Holy Virgin that would have stood at the foot of the Crucifixion.

The overall impression given by the reliefs with their crowds of small, expressive figures is that of a certain naivety not entirely devoid of charm.