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Santiago (St James the Greater) on horseback

Plaque
ca. 1866 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This plaque was presented to Domenico Brucciani (1815-1880) by the canons of Santiago in recognition of his work in casting in plaster the façade of the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, known as the Pórtico de la Gloria. This monumental plaster cast was made for the South Kensington Museum (now the V&A), and was and is one of the centrepieces of the Cast Courts in the Museum (accessioned in 1867). Brucciani himself was a key person in the formation of the cast collection at South Kensington. After the business he had originally founded in Covent Garden encountered difficulties in the early 20th century, it was taken over by the V&A. Brucciani casts then continued to be produced on Museum premises until the 1950s. As such this plaque is part of the history of the formation of the cast collection, as well as an intriguing evocation of one of the protagonists involved in the creation of one of the most important casts in the Museum. In return for his work in making the cast, Brucciani was given by the Dean of Santiago 'a small picture with silver relieve [frame], representing our glorious patron Santiago in the form under which he appeared at the famous battle of Clavijo fighting for the Spaniards against the Moors.' The Dean continued, 'It is far from possessing the artistic merit of the copy received from you [the plaster cast]; but it will always serve as a memorial of your stay in this basilica, and as a proof of the esteem you have succeeded in exciting of this corporation'.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleSantiago (St James the Greater) on horseback (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Struck metal
Brief description
Plaque, white metal on blue velvet, Santiago (St James the Greater) on horseback, presented to Domenico Brucciani by the canons of Santiago de Compostela in 1866, Santiago de Compostela, ca. 1866
Physical description
White metal plaque laid onto blue velvet. The figurative relief represents Santiago on horseback conquering a Muslim, with an inscription on a small cartouche. A foliate wreath with pilgrim staves and a shell surrounds the oval relief.
Dimensions
  • Height: 32cm
  • Width: 25cm
Marks and inscriptions
'Presented to Mr Domenico Brucciani by the Canons of Santiago Oct.30th 1866' (Inscribed on small cartouche. The inscription in English may have been added after Brucciani returned to England with the plaque.)
Object history
The plaque was bought for £280 at Clevedon Salerooms, Kenn Road, Kenn, Clevedon, Bristol, BS21 6TT on 25 November, 2010, lot 497. The name of the consigner is unknown.
Subjects depicted
Summary
This plaque was presented to Domenico Brucciani (1815-1880) by the canons of Santiago in recognition of his work in casting in plaster the façade of the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, known as the Pórtico de la Gloria. This monumental plaster cast was made for the South Kensington Museum (now the V&A), and was and is one of the centrepieces of the Cast Courts in the Museum (accessioned in 1867). Brucciani himself was a key person in the formation of the cast collection at South Kensington. After the business he had originally founded in Covent Garden encountered difficulties in the early 20th century, it was taken over by the V&A. Brucciani casts then continued to be produced on Museum premises until the 1950s. As such this plaque is part of the history of the formation of the cast collection, as well as an intriguing evocation of one of the protagonists involved in the creation of one of the most important casts in the Museum. In return for his work in making the cast, Brucciani was given by the Dean of Santiago 'a small picture with silver relieve [frame], representing our glorious patron Santiago in the form under which he appeared at the famous battle of Clavijo fighting for the Spaniards against the Moors.' The Dean continued, 'It is far from possessing the artistic merit of the copy received from you [the plaster cast]; but it will always serve as a memorial of your stay in this basilica, and as a proof of the esteem you have succeeded in exciting of this corporation'.
Bibliographic reference
Malcolm Baker, 'A Glory to the Museum. The Casting of the "Pórtico de la Gloria"', The V&A Album, I, 1982, p. 108.
Collection
Accession number
A.1-2011

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Record createdFebruary 11, 2011
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