Early Spanish Panel Painting in the Plandiura Collection (I)

Abstract

DURING the last few years an unusual collection of mediaeval Spanish art has been brought together by Sr. D. Luis Plandiura of Barcelona. Situated in the barrio of Ribera, one of the most ancient sections of the city, the present home of Sr. Plandiura is built over the ancient garden of the Captain-General of Catalonia.³ Directly across the street is the Mercado del Borne, one of the oldest markets of the city, and from the windows one can see the park of the Ciudadela, where the former city fortress stood. Within a stone's throw of the house are numerous churches and civic monuments rich in Catalan history and tradition, such as the church of S. Maria del Mar, La Lonja, or Stock Exchange, and the Plaza de Palacio. A short distance beyond are the former royal chapel of S. Agueda, now the Provincial Museum, the Crown Archives of Aragon, and the cathedral of Barcelona. The house itself is in one respect quite unusual, since the two lower stories are given over entirely to the family business, known in Spain as coloniales (an import business dealing in sugar, coffee, cocoa, etc.),⁴ and the three upper stories are reserved for the exhibition of Sr. Plandiura's art treasures.