This page was created by Vedanth Natarajan. The last update was by Jeffrey Forgeng.
Who made the Spanish Ceiling?
The Spanish Ceiling was commissioned, designed, and constructed by a variety of individuals from diverse backgrounds. The individual who commissioned the Spanish Ceiling would have been a nobleman who had the financial means necessary to fund such a large project. The designers of the ceiling were architects with a strong background in geometry; they would have been familiar with the artistic and architectural traditions of the region. The actual construction required the largest number of people, as it was labor-intensive. Carpenters from North Africa were known to build ceilings like this one. As with many other alfarje ceilings, the woodworkers and painters responsible for decorating the ceiling could have been Muslims who opted to stay in the region after it came under Christian rule. These Muslim artists who were skilled in and inspired by Islamic ornament may have been hired by a Christian nobleman to create the unique fusion of architecture known as the Mudejar style.