Project financed by the Bombarral City Hall
[ARTIS-IHA - Main Research Unit]

Description:
The proto-baroque altarpiece, which belongs to the Chapel of Saint Blaise in the cemetery of Bombarral, has a great importante in the History of the Portuguese Painting from the 17th century. Its authorship was recently attributed to the father of Josefa d'Óbidos - the painter Baltazar Gomes Figueira (Óbidos, 1604 - 1674), a famous artist of accurate naturalism in landscape and still life paintings. This altarpiece is certainly one of his first public commissions, made in c.1635-1640 after his return to his hometown Óbidos, from Seville (where he learned and lived between 1626 and 1633). 
 

The works of Baltazar Gomes Figueira are some of the best ones produced in Portugal concerning the sacred art and the still life. the altarpiece eas probably commissioned by the Henriques family, patrons of the chapel; in the chapel can be found the tomb of Luís Henriques, main chamberlain of King John I of Portugal, to whom was granted the rule of the lands of Bombarral in 1384, after the Battle of Aljubarrota. Ruined by the earthquake of 1532, the chapel was rebuit in the beginning of the 17th century; the commission of the altarpiece to Baltazar Gomes Figueira was made in this period. 
 

This research project intends to establish a scientific and pedagogic cooperation, having as main goals: to study the altarpiece of the Chapel of Saint Blaise - as well as the chapel itself, as part of the artistic context -, gathering a group f experts in art history and heritage preservation; to perform the material analysis, the conservation diagnosis and the restoration of the altarpiece; to disseminate the main conclusions and knowledge acquired in the project, by publishing a monograph, and organizing and exhibition and a synposium.

 

Bombarral City Hall

 

ARTIS / 00001 / 2017

Start date: 01-12-2017

End date: 31-12-2019

Main Research Unit:

ARTIS - Instituto de História da Arte, Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Lisboa

 

Instituto de História da Arte, Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas da Universidade Nova de Lisboa

Laboratório Hércules, Escola de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade de Évora

ArteRestauro - Conservação de Bens Culturais Lda.

 

Responsible Researcher:
Vítor Serrão (ARTIS-IHA, FLUL)
 

Dóris Santos (IHA, NOVA FCSH)

Joaquim Rodrigues dos Santos (ARTIS-IHA, FLUL)

Vanessa Antunes (ARTIS-IHA, FLUL)