The master Ysambart and the late gothic renovation in Castile: Palencia, the Saldaña’s funerary chapel in Tordesillas and Seville

Abstract

This article studies how Palencia and Tordesillas lead the gothic renovation in the Crown of Castile, before Burgos and Toledo, during the reign of Juan II (1406-54) with the new technical and sculpture language that stems from the Late Gothic imported from the north (France, Bourgogne, Flanders). We study the relationship between Luna’s family and the master Ysambart, who works first in Aragon (Lerida, Daroca and Zaragoza) before going to Castile (Palencia and Sevilla). We think Ysambart could work in Tordesillas too with the master Pedro Jalopa in the wonderful Saldaña’s funerary chapel, where Elvira Portocarrero, the first Alvaro de Luna’s wife, was buried. Later, Ysambart would go to Seville Cathedral and Jalopa went to the Toledo cathedral where he’ll be the master of the Don Alvaro de Luna’s Chapel.