This page was created by Vedanth Natarajan.
Where was the Spanish Ceiling made?
The Spanish Ceiling came from a palace in Illescas, a town located between Toledo and Madrid, in the central region of Spain. The palace from which the ceiling came is associated with notable figures and families including the Hapsburgs, Dona Leonara of Austria, and Francis I of France. Ceilings designed and constructed during the 15th century in this region share many similar architectural and ornamental features with the WAM's example. Spanish ceilings, unlike smaller, portable art which would have been created in workshops, were constructed and decorated in domestic, religious, and palace buildings depending on the status and identity of the individual who commissioned the project. These ceilings were incorporated directly into the architectural design of the building during the time of its construction (ceilings like this one were not added to an already existent room).