The monument raised for Holy Week (Semana Santa) in the Church of the monastery of El Escorial, from a series of Views of El Escorial
Medium
Etching and engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 23 5/8 × 17 5/16 in. (60 × 44 cm) Plate: 22 1/4 × 16 1/8 in. (56.5 × 41 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949
Accession Number
49.40.42
Art Historical Context
In the grand Church of the Monastery of Elorial, one of Spain most iconic architectural marvels built by King Philip II in the 16th century this etching and engraving captures a temporary monument erected for Semana Santa—the solemn Holy Week observances central to Spanish Catholic tradition. Created around 1790–1800 by Gómez Navia and Manuel Alegre in collaboration with Madrid's Calcografía Real, Royal Engraving Office, it belongs to a series of *Views of El Escorial*. These prints meticulously document the monastery's basilica, palace, and pantheon, preserving its splendor for posterity. Th...
About the Artist
José Gómez Navia|Manuel Alegre|Calcografía Real, Madrid (Spanish| |Spanish) · 1757 | |1768 –1812 | |
Spanish, 1757– ca. 1812| |Spanish, born 1768