Art in an Early Global World at WAM: A WAM/College of the Holy Cross CollaborationMain MenuAmanda Luyster17d39c1ecea88fb7ff282fe74a410b89478b8327Created by the Worcester Art Museum and the College of the Holy Cross, with the Worcester Public Schools AP Art History class of 2024. Financial support provided by the Medieval Academy of America and "Scholarship in Action" at Holy Cross.
12024-03-28T13:30:26-07:00How was the Spanish Ceiling made?2plain2024-04-03T20:49:01-07:00Vedanth Natarajan, Class of 2027, College of the Holy Cross
The Spanish Ceiling includes four wooden transverse beams and twenty-three cross-beams in each of its five sections. In addition to being the main component of the ceiling itself, wood was also used for the scaffolding, lifting cranes, and other structures used to construct the ceiling. Each main wood panel was probably shaped independently on the ground, then raised into place and secured, followed by the cross-beams and transverse beams. The Spanish Ceiling was assembled using a combination of heavy wrought-iron nails and wood adhesives. The cross beams were installed parallel and equidistant from each other. The thin heraldic panels which run alongside and slightly above the cross-beams were likely dry-fitted into slots pre-cut for them. All of the exposed surfaces of the ceiling were then painted with floral and geometric ornament in vibrant contrasting colors. The majority of the painting and ornamental decoration was completed after the construction of the ceiling, then layered with varnish and protective coatings commonly used in the time period.
