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joseantonio | all galleries >> Galleries >> TOLEDO Y EXTREMADURA > Toledo. Catedral
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02-MAY-2014

Toledo. Catedral

One of the most outstanding features of the Cathedral is the Baroque altarpiece called El Transparente. Its name refers to the unique illumination provided by a large skylight cut very high up into the thick wall across the ambulatory behind the high altar, and another hole cut into the back of the altarpiece itself to allow shafts of sunlight to strike the tabernacle. This lower hole also allows persons in the ambulatory to see through the altarpiece to the tabernacle, so that they are seeing though its transparency, so to speak. The work was commissioned by Diego de Astorga y Céspedes, Archbishop of Toledo, who wished to mark the presence of the Holy Sacrament with a glorious monument. El Transparente is several storeys high and is extraordinarily well-executed with fantastic figures done in stucco, painting, bronze castings, and multiple colors of marble; it is a masterpiece of Baroque mixed media by Narciso Tomé and his four sons (two architects, one painter and one sculptor). The illumination is enhanced when the Mass is being said in the mornings and the sun shines from the east, shafts of sunlight from the appropriately oriented skylight striking the tabernacle through the hole in the back of the retable, giving the impression that the whole altar is rising to heaven.

Canon EOS 70D
1/100s f/5.0 at 18.0mm iso12800 full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
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hermankervel25-May-2014 11:43
Good picture
Paolo Peggi (aka Bracciodiferro)20-May-2014 17:21
Well detailed capture! BV
Ciao,
Paolo
Don Mottershead19-May-2014 23:15
Very interesting commentary.
Helen Betts19-May-2014 18:14
Excellent detail here, and impressive at that very high ISO. V.
Stephanie19-May-2014 17:34
Lovely capture of this alter! V
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