This page was created by Vedanth Natarajan.
02 Spanish Ceiling [WAM 1952.18] - When was this made?
The Spanish Ceiling currently exhibited in the Worcester Art Museum was constructed during the 15th-century in Spain near the regions of Granada, Toledo, and Seville. The ceiling originated from a palace in Illescas, Spain, a city located between Madrid and Toledo. The region was ruled by and connected to the Hapsburgs, Dona Leonora of Austria, and Francis I of France. The artistic and architectural nature of the Spanish Ceiling as well as the materials used in its construction is characteristic of Mudéjar architecture. The Mudéjar refers to the Muslims who remained in the Christian territory after the Reconquest of Spain by Christian forces. 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 the broader regions of Castle-Leon surrounding the city of Illescas from the 13th to 16th centuries.