THE CORONATION OF THE VIRGIN ALTARPIECE

TYPOLOGY 

The current aspect of the altarpiece of the Coronation of the Virgin in Rentería with its three main vertical sections subdivided by two narrow vertical sections and ample plinth is not what the original altarpiece looked like, but is the result of its several alterations. The available documentation barely hints about details of the last alteration of the altarpiece carried out in 1931. Other details, however, may be deduced thanks to the detailed technical analyses carried out during the most recent restoration work by Barrio and Berasain. Thanks to these, it has been deduced that the altarpiece could originally have been much more complex in design which could have even included two more vertical sections, one on each side, that were probably complemented by a pair of wings and a predella.

Were these hypotheses to be confirmed, we stand before a truly exceptional altarpiece of extraordinary size and complex interior architecture of a very unusual design: inasmuch as the appearance of alternating vertical sections and narrow   vertical subdivisions is extremely rare in Flemish made altarpieces. However, as suggested by Berasain, this could well be some sort of concession, an adaptation to local taste, if you like.