This page was created by Vedanth Natarajan. The last update was by Jeffrey Forgeng.
When was the Spanish Ceiling made?
The Spanish Ceiling currently exhibited in the Worcester Art Museum was constructed during the 15th century in Spain, home of the great cities of Granada, Toledo, and Seville. The ceiling may have originated from a palace in Illescas, Spain, a city located between Madrid and Toledo. The artistic and architectural form of the Spanish Ceiling as well as the materials used in its construction are characteristic of Mudéjar architecture. Mudéjar refers to Muslims who remained in Christianized territory during the Reconquest of Spain by its Christian kingdoms. This historical context provides insight into the unique blend of Islamic and Christian designs ornamenting the ceiling due to the intermixing of peoples and cultures. The Mudéjar style of architecture had a strong influence in Castile and Leon, the region surrounding the city of Illescas, from the 13th to 16th centuries.