Oxyginating Toothpaste

Santa Olalla. Calvary

Everyone is aware of the love that existed in the Romanesque mural painting, used to decorate the walls of the churches with teaching stories.

This custom, though not entirely disappeared, it gradually lost with the arrival of the Gothic, by winning more abstract Murari decorations or stone. The paint on wood, already used before, happened to have a predominant role.

However, the Gothic style around town and great buildings, not imposed at the same rate throughout the country, in rural and impoverished areas, the Romanesque influence continued well into the century XIV, although in a very rough and increasingly adulterated by the new style. Some aspects of the Roman mentality survived even much longer, the use of wall paintings with narrative purpose would be one of them.

A great example is the picture groups developed by the so-called Master of San Felices, well into the fifteenth century Romanesque churches in several southern and northern Cantabria Palencia. The most important are San Felices de Castillería, Valberzoso, San Cebrián de Mudá, Revilla de Santullán, Las Henestrosa of Quintanillas and, above all, Mata de Hoz and Santa Olalla.

Although the line of figures some movement in the composition or complexity of the subject betray that this is late Gothic paintings related to the Castilian school, they still retain many features inherited from the Romanesque, the use of earthy colors, the composition in cartoons, drawing a line and concept to cover the entire wall with a didactic narration are few.

The images shown here are the church of Santa Olalla de la Loma, in the valley Valdeolea Cantabrian, and Revilla de Santullán in Palencia.

Santa Olalla de la Loma

itself Church of Santa Eulalia, with its apse flat pointed barrel vaults, rough corbels convex is a paradigmatic example of Romanesque "anachronistic" and very rural, probably from the late thirteenth or early fourteenth century. In the main apse there are paintings, discovered in the forties, in an enviable condition.

Santa Olalla de la Loma. Paintings

In this case we have reperesentado the passion of Christ and the miracles of Santa Eulalia and other scenes of saints such as St. Michael weighing souls or Santiago Matamoros, the latter with a potential for propaganda purposes time when Muslim kingdoms in the Peninsula had undergone almost complete.

Santa Olalla. St. Michael weighing souls

Santa Olalla. Miracle of Santa Eulalia

Santa Olalla. Santiago Matamoros

represent the Passion of the Last Supper, Judas' betrayal, the scourging, the way to Calvary, the Crucifixion, the Deposition, the Pietà, Christ's descent into Hell and the Resurrection. Surprised by the large size of the Descent into Hell alive with all manner of torments and demons; Another element of propaganda, this time exploiting the fear of eternal fire?

Santa Olalla. Last Supper

Santa Olalla. Hell

church in Revilla de Santullán paintings have survived worse, some of them were bought by British private. Disorderly scenes are depicted Life and Passion of Christ.

Santullán Revilla. Paintings

the contrast is striking between the Presentation in the Temple, which echoes the Renaissance innovations in the treatment of space but poorly understood, and the Pantocrator almost Romanesque attitude.

Revilla de Santullán

The completeness of the narrative, full of biblical references, it suggests that the "Master of San Felices" had enough knowledge of Scripture, can be a cleric.

It is said that these paintings, though not of great artistic quality, have great value as a historical document of folk arts development outside the major centers of creation. Personally I do seem to artistic value, at least from the point of view. And the time to get the necessary effect, despite its technical limitations, are as effective as the paintings of the masters.

NB The photographs are Santullán Revilla Carlos Calderón Ortiz