294 Apuntes del Alcázar de Sevilla
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nglish
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air hardening lime coats, but the dire, irregular and unsuccessful at-
tempts to eliminate those coats, in charge of non-committed peo-
ple using sharp and unrestrained equipments (knives and scrapers),
which caused vast sweeping, erosions, edges and scratches, making
the surface difficult to be formally understood.
Originally, the polychrome spread over the two jambs and the sof-
fit. However, we do not know whether the lower edges of the sides
were defined by the profile of the stairs or started from a particular
height, due to the Western side has completely lost its polychrome
as opposed to the other side which maintains, even eroded, its top
half. After the cleaning process we know that the painting also cov-
ered the Northern wall, in view of an abiding fragment in the wall in
question next to the Western impost.
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In the upper third of the right jamb (East) we can find previous lines
which denote solid basis of drawing outlined with a fine brush in
red ochre tones above a stucco basis, and relatively well-defined col-
our scheme which maintain the characteristics of the preparatory
drawing, intensity in tonal range and great part of the compositional
details.
Between the two jambs there are significant differences with regards
to the conditions and the percentage of maintained painting, with a
larger quantity on the right side due to the minor impact of humidity.
The
pictorial composition
is divided into two large symmetrical
sides, situated E-W, within a floral frieze, and placed in a matching
distribution of figures and elements on the basis of a central axis.
The development of the composition begins in the inferior side (pre-
sumably from the wall faces) and continues upwards towards the
confluence at the keystone of the vault, where the two large parties
frame the central unity as a whole.
In terms of
iconography,
compositional elements have been revealed
only after the deep cleaning process implemented by the pictorial sur-
face. The formal representation of figures and objects connected are
spread over a greyish and dark greenish background. The reading be-
gins in the lower side of the jambs, in this case in the right wall facing
(Eastern), where we can find traces from a frame or laurel and floral
wreath placed on the middle, from where the stems of two red flow-
ers in ringlets come upwards, with two coiled snake and facing each
other in the central position. Among these scrolls there are two naked
boys (putti) holding clothing hanged from the centre, and above them
a curved moulding where two little angels are seated holding a red
curtain, fixed to a ring of amirror with goldenwith golden cornucopia
(ochre) centred. From that frame other matching flowers and branch-
es are expanded generating scrolls interlaced with Grutesque figures
in a foreshortened perspective with bodies half-humans, half-vegetal
hooked to those branches. Vertical palms flank the mirror, oriented to
a corbel placed on the centre and, above it, a child or young boy stand-
ing up (the composition is symmetrical on the far side of the vault)
wrapped in clothing and with his arms raised, holding the central
tondo as the keystone. The two groups of symmetrical compositions
finish in the centre and are flanked by four exotic birds. The central
emphasized by a magnificent royal crown embedded with precious
stones and crossed by two clubs interlaced.
Concerning the
symbolic meaning
, this composition imbues a clear
allegoric and symbolic message, alluding to a triumphal monarchy
and the power achieved by the union of forces, symbolized by the
clubs laced by a fine ribbon. The cherubs symbolize the eternity, like
the mirrors with allude the truth and duality, as well as the victory
over time, represented by the palms raised. The telamons are related
to the force and the stoic resistance, raising and holding the central
tondo, the most significant message about power and control result
of the monarchical nuptials
In this way, the two sections of the entrance reinforce the power of
monarchy; at the first lower vault with heraldic shields which show
territorial control and at the second one with the message of union
of forces. Those are the keys for a powerful, resilient and perdurable
monarchy.
Concerning the
state of preservation
, this dome presented a very
poor state and a greatly decadent appearance, due to the conjunc-
tion of many factors: themost important—because of its destructive
consequences—are an old and neglect anthropogenic interventions
in the polychrome. Humidity is also a very important deterioration
factor for the wall coverings, due to the high groundwater level of
the area, adjoining to a humid sector to the West which is rich in
salts by migration. Finally, the simple access of the paintings with
regards to touch and handling is a risk for their future preservation,
according to the absence of protection elements to avoid the acci-
dental touch and dissuade from certain non-civic behaviours.
At the soffit of the vault, besides of the significant detected patholo-
gies, the main problem has lately been the harmed aspect presented
by this section for many decades, considering its visibility and close-
ness as a passageway to the
Ba
ñ
os
, circumstance which has been
seriously considered at the recent intervention. We have found a
surface coated which have also been affected by misleading clean-
ing processes, executed with unorthodox techniques and tools non-
controlled or judged expertly, which have caused irregular coverings
and uncountable traces spread over the original polychrome.
As a consequence of this, the original greyish and greenish back-
ground presented an added coat with magnificent adherence,
crossed by numerous scratches, incisions and marks. From the
“clear” area we can remark the blurred and non-defined figures of the
composition, among them the humans and theriomorphics, whose
irregular cleaning processes were revealed part of their orange prim-
ing due to the sweep of pictorial shades. During this recent interven-
tion the innumerable traces and remains which covered the original
composition have been removed, revealing and defining figures and
motifs previously hidden or merely intuited.
The consequences of those aggressive cleanings have not only pro-
duced an alteration of the aesthetic and formal view of the painting
because of the confusion and the irreversible losses; it has also af-
fected the message of neglect and lack of attention indirectly and
involuntarily sent of this important area of the
Alc
á
zar
. It has been
important to keep this in mind and try, by eliminating added coats,
to recover the underlying original painting, minimizing the conse-
quences of the damages occurred as by means of the cleaning, the
reconstruction of the disappeared stucco and selective colour re-
touching, respecting the different erosive levels and losses, to re-es-
tablish the requested aesthetic harmony and a formal and symbolic
reading as far as possible.
The polychrome areas currently visible present different levels of
maintenance, according to where they are placed along the wall
covering. The areas with greatest losses are based on the lower half,
because of its situation favourable for the accidental touch. Be-
