THE HOLY CROSS ALTARPIECE

ALTERATIONS 

Under the decorative pinboard of the Flemish altarpiece is a locally-made, carved, polychrome decorated pinewood panel whose probable aim was that of concealing the way the altarpiece was altered to fit the wall niche. Some figures are missing, as are fragments of certain volumes. Two small figures on the centre section of the altarpiece were added later.

Posterior interventions have hidden the original polychrome decoration. This can be easily detected in the examples of the capes of the donors of the altarpiece, the mantle of Christ in the central compartment and in the houses standing in the backgrounds of several scenes, amongst other examples. In the '40's, several architectural elements were rebuilt and replaced and, in 1988, on occasion of the "Art in the Churches of Castle and León" Exhibition in the Cathedral of the Asunción, Valladolid, restoration work was carried out on the Pietà scenario. More recently, in 1992, restoration was carried out in situ by the IKONO∑ company