The Segovia Cathedral inaugurated the exhibition Flemish Paintings on Copper at Segovia Cathedral: Art for Evangelization (La pintura flamenca sobre cobre en la Catedral de Segovia. Arte para evangelizar). Organized to commemorate the fifth centenary of the cathedral’s foundation, the exhibition presents 26 copper paintings, many of which have never before been displayed to the public. Curated by Sirga de la Pisa Carrión, professor of art history at CEU San Pablo University, and Adolfo Rubio, curator of cultural management and communication.
The exhibition highlights the role of copper as a revolutionary support for sacred art during the seventeenth century. Originating primarily from Antwerp, copper plates allowed for meticulous detail and a luminous finish that was well-suited for the small-scale narrative series favored by Jesuit-led counter-reformatory efforts.
Peeter Sion (1624-1695, The miracle of manna, ca. 1644-95
Catedral de Segovia, Segovia
The display is structured to lead exhibition visitors through a chronological reading of the bible. One section focuses on the Old Testament, featuring scenes such as The Meeting of Rebecca and Eliezer at the Well and The Brazen Serpent. Many of these works are inspired by the compositions of Frans Francken II, a central figure in the development of Flemish cabinet painting. The New Testament cycle includes eleven works depicting the life of Christ, which demonstrate the pervasive influence of Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck. For instance, the compositions of The Visitation and The Presentation in the Temple follow models established by Rubens, mediated through engravings by Pieter de Jode II and Paul Pontius.
Recent scholarship and restoration efforts have clarified several attributions within the collection. Two works, The Judgment of Solomon and Saint Anthony Distributing Bread, are attributed to the Antwerp painter Willem van Herp. Other identified hands include Peeter Sion and Adriaen Willenhoudt. A significant highlight is the first public display of a seventeenth-century workshop copy of Rubens’s Saint George and the Dragon, which was on temporary loan until January.
Guilliam van Herp (ca. 1613-1677) and worksho, St. Anthony Distributing Bread, ca. 1633-77
Catedral de Segovia, Segovia
In preparation for the exhibition, four paintings from the Parish of San Juan Evangelista in Marazoleja were meticulously restored. By reuniting these works, the exhibition illustrates how Flemish artistic innovation served the religious and educational goals of the seventeenth-century Church, transforming complex theological dogmas into vivid visual narratives.
See the official website of the Segovia Cathedral for more information in Spanish and a large selection of paintings on view.