2. Background
• One of the most prolific artists who came
from Catalonia region of Spain
• Although commissioned for many works, only
few survive
– Major 2 surviving works…
• His fresco in Pedralbes
• His Book of Hours of Mary of Navarre
3. Thesis
Although Ferrer Bassa is known for being a facet
of Catalonian art in the middle ages, his most
notable works: The Book of Hours for Maria of
Navarre and St. Michael’s Chapel in Pedralbes
are essentially Italian for clear employment of
highly similar technique.
4. Book of Hours
• 1342, King Pedro inquires for his wife Maria of
Navarre to receive a book of hours in Valencia
– Siennese influence
• – Millard Meiss
• Use of ‘quatrocento’ figure
5.
6. Basic Info about Pedralbes
• 1326, Elisonda de Moncado, Queen of Jaime II
(crown of Aragon) created Pedralbes as a convent
for the Poor Clares
• Her niece Francesca Saportella I of Pine,
commissioned Bassa in 1346 to paint a fresco in
St. Michael’s Chapel within
• The name comes from the Latin, ‘petras albas’
(white stones), which evolved into the Catalan
‘pedras albas’, named after the high quality of
white stone used
10. Notable scenes within Pedralbes
- St. Peter’s arrest
- Mary at the foot of the cross
- The descent of Nicodermos
- Expressiveness, personality, individualization
- Overall depicts “scenes from the life of Christ
and Franciscan saints”
11. Materials
• Azurite that has oxidized to malachite green
• Flesh tones were painted in lead white that
has oxidized into black
• Known for smooth brush strokes,
– “diffusion without hardness or chromatic
contrasts”
16. Sources
• Gibbs, Robert. "Ferrer Bassa and the Psuedo-Ferrer at Pedralbes." Apollo. 136.
(1992): 226-232. Print.
• Guarro, Mariangela S. Ferrer Bassa: Les Pintures De La Capella De Sant Miquel Al
Monestir De Pedralbes (Catalan Edition). Montserrat Mateu Taller Editorial, 1993.
Print.
• Gudiol , and i B. S. Alcolea. Pintura tica Catalana. Barcelona: grafa,
1986. Print.
• King, Georgiana Goddard. "The Journey of Ferrer Bassa."Art Bulletin. 16.2 (1934):
116-122. Print.
• Museu Nacional D’Art de Catalunya’s Catalonia 1400 : The International Gothic
Style exhibit publication
• Newton, William. "Pedralbes." Catholic Barcelona. 8 Feb. 2010. Web. 10 Apr. 2012.
<http://catholicbarcelona.com/2010/02/08/pedralbes/>.
• Russell, P E. Spain: A Companion to Spanish Studies. London: Methuen, 1973. Print.
• Stokstad, Marilyn. Medieval Art. Boulder, Colo: Westview Press, 2004. Print.
• Pascual, Raquel. "PASION Y RESURRECCION EN LA PINTURA ALAVESA. (SIGLOS XIV-
XVI)." Artes Plasticas y Documentales. (1994): 69-119. Web. 10 Apr. 2012.
<http://www.euskomedia.org/PDFAnlt/arte/12/12069119.pdf>.
