Nicolau Chanterene
Encyclopedia
Nicolau Chanterene (France
, c.1485 – Évora
, c.1555) was a French sculptor and architect who worked mainly in Portugal
and Spain
.
It is assumed that he was born in Normandy
, France. It is not clear whether he got his training in France
or Italy
. However his style is essentially French, notwithstanding his use of Lombard ornaments.
that states that a payment was made to him for carving 15 of the 16 life-size statues between 13 August 1511 and 1513 in the columns of the transept of the Hospital Real (Hostal de Los Reyes Católicos founded in 1492). These statues introduce influences from the Italian Renaissance in Galicia.
By January 1517 he and an assistant were at work as master contractors at the western portal of the Jerónimos Monastery
in Belém
. This was probably his first assignment in Portugal. When he arrived , the supporting corbel
s had already been decorated in Late Gothic
style with small angels holding the coat-of-arms and, at the side of the king, an armillary sphere
and, at the side of the queen, three blooming twigs.
He filled the splay
s on each side of the portal with statues, among them king Manuel I
and his second wife Maria of Aragón
, both kneeling in a niche under a lavishly decorated baldachin
. They are flanked by their patron saints St. Jerome and John the Baptist. He then decorated the tympanum
with the Annunciation
, the Nativity
, and the Epiphany
, each scene set in a tiny niche. Two angels, holdings the arms of Portugal, close the archivolt
.
, another one of the main artistic centres of Portugal in this Age of Discovery
. He would work there at the renovation of the Augustinian Santa Cruz Monastery
, besides Diogo Pires the Younger and under the direction of Diogo de Castilho.
His reputation grew so fast that already in 1519 king Manuel I appointed him his personal sculptor (Imaginario de Pedraria) with the accompanying pension and privileges. He was by then already considered as the most important sculptor of what was to be called “The School of Coimbra” , consisting of Jean de Rouen (João de Ruão), Jacques Buxe, Philippe Houdart, Diogo Francisco, Pero Anes, Diogo Fernandes, João Fernandes
, João de Castilho and Diogo de Castilho.
His first sculptural work were the tombs, at both sides of the main altar, of the first two Portuguese kings King Afonso Henriques
and his successor, King Sancho I
. The kings lie on their tombs, clad in full armour, with hands joined in prayer and a lion or dog (symbol of fidelity) at their feet. Their serene expression is such that one would think that they are asleep. The tombs are set in large niches richly decorated with statues, flowers and medaillons in Late Gothic and Early Renaissance style, with on top the crosses of the Order of Christ
.
The weathered statues of the Apostles and Doctors of the Church
in the portal, made between 1522 and 1525 , were carved by Nicolau Chanterene and Jean de Rouen. They are the most emblematic piece of the whole monastic ensemble, harmonising the artistic elements of the Manueline
with other features from Renaissance inspiration.
But the ornate, polygonal pulpit
(1521) in the private chapel of the monastery is considered a masterwork of Chanterene and one of the most beautiful Renaissance pulpits in the world. Around the seated Doctors of the Church one can find niches, baldachins, pilasters and emblatures.
In 1520, together with Diogo de Castilho, he sculpted the Renaissance portal of the Santa Cruz Monastery
in Coimbra. But these life-size statues are now badly damaged
In 1522 he got a commission for a retable in Ança limestone (a local limestone) for the Monastery of São Marcos de Tentúgal
(near Coimbra). He depicts, just as in the Belém portal, the kneeling figures of the donors, but this time in Renaissance style. He probably only sculpted the principal figures : chief justice Aires Gomes da Silva and his wife Guiomar de Castro. The figures in the “Deposition of Christ” were modelled by him in clay, leaving the carving to his assistants.
In 1526 he was promoted by king João III
to the honorary title of royal herald. In the same year, he sculpted the arch over the door between the cloister and the chapter house of the Mosteiro de Celas in Coimbra
The damaged retable in the Renaissance chapel of St. Peter in the Old Cathedral of Coimbra
is also attributed to Chanterene. (sometimes to Jean de Rouen). The central theme of the elegant decorations and carvings is Quo vadis
? (Where are you going ?)
of the chapel Nossa Senhora da Pena in the Pena National Palace
in Sintra. It is generally recognized as his finest work through its composition and the exquisite carving, showing already first signs of Mannerism
.
, entering in daily contact with noblemen, humanists, such as Andre de Resende
, and the highest ecclesiastical ranks.
In 1537 he sculpted the alabaster tomb for the archbishop of Évora, Dom Afonso de Portugal, and the marble grave of D. Duarte da Costa, governor of Brazil, both now on display at the museum of Évora.
The design of the church of Nossa Senhora da Graça in Évora in 1542 is also ascribed to Nicholau Chanterene and Miguel Arruda.
His influence on Portuguese sculpture is rather limited, as he didn’t have a permanent workshop. However he had some influence as can be seen in the works of the sculptors Jean de Rouen and Diogo Pires the Younger.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, c.1485 – Évora
Évora
Évora is a municipality in Portugal. It has total area of with a population of 55,619 inhabitants. It is the seat of the Évora District and capital of the Alentejo region. The municipality is composed of 19 civil parishes, and is located in Évora District....
, c.1555) was a French sculptor and architect who worked mainly in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
It is assumed that he was born in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, France. It is not clear whether he got his training in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
or Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. However his style is essentially French, notwithstanding his use of Lombard ornaments.
Santiago de Compostela (1511-1516)
Chanterene is first mentioned in a document in Santiago de CompostelaSantiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain.The city's Cathedral is the destination today, as it has been throughout history, of the important 9th century medieval pilgrimage route, the Way of St. James...
that states that a payment was made to him for carving 15 of the 16 life-size statues between 13 August 1511 and 1513 in the columns of the transept of the Hospital Real (Hostal de Los Reyes Católicos founded in 1492). These statues introduce influences from the Italian Renaissance in Galicia.
Belém (1517- 1518)
Jerónimos Monastery
The Hieronymites Monastery is located near the shore of the parish of Belém, in the municipality of Lisbon, Portugal...
in Belém
Santa Maria de Belém
Santa Maria de Belém, or just Belém , whose name is derived from the Portuguese word for Bethlehem, is a civil parish of the municipality of Lisbon, in central Portugal...
. This was probably his first assignment in Portugal. When he arrived , the supporting corbel
Corbel
In architecture a corbel is a piece of stone jutting out of a wall to carry any superincumbent weight. A piece of timber projecting in the same way was called a "tassel" or a "bragger". The technique of corbelling, where rows of corbels deeply keyed inside a wall support a projecting wall or...
s had already been decorated in Late Gothic
Gothic art
Gothic art was a Medieval art movement that developed in France out of Romanesque art in the mid-12th century, led by the concurrent development of Gothic architecture. It spread to all of Western Europe, but took over art more completely north of the Alps, never quite effacing more classical...
style with small angels holding the coat-of-arms and, at the side of the king, an armillary sphere
Armillary sphere
An armillary sphere is a model of objects in the sky , consisting of a spherical framework of rings, centred on Earth, that represent lines of celestial longitude and latitude and other astronomically important features such as the ecliptic...
and, at the side of the queen, three blooming twigs.
He filled the splay
Splay
Splay may refer to:*Splay, a verb meaning slant, slope or spread outwards*Splay , the difference between urine threshold and saturation*Splay , a J-pop band from Osaka...
s on each side of the portal with statues, among them king Manuel I
Manuel I of Portugal
Manuel I , the Fortunate , 14th king of Portugal and the Algarves was the son of Infante Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu, , by his wife, Infanta Beatrice of Portugal...
and his second wife Maria of Aragón
Maria of Aragon (1482-1517)
Maria of Aragon was a Spanish infanta and the second wife of Portuguese King Manuel I, thus queen consort of Portugal from her marriage on 30 October 1500 until her death.-Family:She was born at Córdoba on 29 June 1482 as the third surviving daughter of Isabella I of...
, both kneeling in a niche under a lavishly decorated baldachin
Baldachin
A baldachin, or baldaquin , is a canopy of state over an altar or throne. It had its beginnings as a cloth canopy, but in other cases it is a sturdy, permanent architectural feature, particularly over high altars in cathedrals, where such a structure is more correctly called a ciborium when it is...
. They are flanked by their patron saints St. Jerome and John the Baptist. He then decorated the tympanum
Tympanum (architecture)
In architecture, a tympanum is the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, bounded by a lintel and arch. It often contains sculpture or other imagery or ornaments. Most architectural styles include this element....
with the Annunciation
Annunciation
The Annunciation, also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary or Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the announcement by the angel Gabriel to Virgin Mary, that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus the Son of God. Gabriel told Mary to name her...
, the Nativity
Nativity of Jesus in art
The Nativity of Jesus has been a major subject of Christian art since the 4th century. The artistic depictions of the Nativity or birth of Jesus, celebrated at Christmas, are based on the narratives in the Bible, in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, and further elaborated by written, oral and...
, and the Epiphany
Epiphany (Christian)
Epiphany, or Theophany, meaning "vision of God",...
, each scene set in a tiny niche. Two angels, holdings the arms of Portugal, close the archivolt
Archivolt
An archivolt is an ornamental molding or band following the curve on the underside of an arch. It is composed of bands of ornamental moldings surrounding an arched opening, corresponding to the architrave in the case of a rectangular opening...
.
Coimbra (1518–1527)
Chanterene left in 1518 to CoimbraCoimbra
Coimbra is a city in the municipality of Coimbra in Portugal. Although it served as the nation's capital during the High Middle Ages, it is better-known for its university, the University of Coimbra, which is one of the oldest in Europe and the oldest academic institution in the...
, another one of the main artistic centres of Portugal in this Age of Discovery
Age of Discovery
The Age of Discovery, also known as the Age of Exploration and the Great Navigations , was a period in history starting in the early 15th century and continuing into the early 17th century during which Europeans engaged in intensive exploration of the world, establishing direct contacts with...
. He would work there at the renovation of the Augustinian Santa Cruz Monastery
Santa Cruz Monastery
The Santa Cruz Monastery, The Santa Cruz Monastery, The Santa Cruz Monastery, (English: Monastery of the Holy Cross, Portuguese: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz, best known as Igreja (Church) de Santa Cruz is a National Monument in Coimbra, Portugal. Because the first two kings of Portugal are buried in the...
, besides Diogo Pires the Younger and under the direction of Diogo de Castilho.
His reputation grew so fast that already in 1519 king Manuel I appointed him his personal sculptor (Imaginario de Pedraria) with the accompanying pension and privileges. He was by then already considered as the most important sculptor of what was to be called “The School of Coimbra” , consisting of Jean de Rouen (João de Ruão), Jacques Buxe, Philippe Houdart, Diogo Francisco, Pero Anes, Diogo Fernandes, João Fernandes
João Fernandes
João Fernandes was a Portuguese explorer of the 15th century. He was perhaps the earliest of modern explorers in the upland of West Africa, and a pioneer of the European slave- and gold-trade of Guinea.We first hear of him as a captive of the Barbary Moors in the western Mediterranean; while...
, João de Castilho and Diogo de Castilho.
His first sculptural work were the tombs, at both sides of the main altar, of the first two Portuguese kings King Afonso Henriques
Afonso I of Portugal
Afonso I or Dom Afonso Henriques , more commonly known as Afonso Henriques , nicknamed "the Conqueror" , "the Founder" or "the Great" by the Portuguese, and El-Bortukali and Ibn-Arrik by the Moors whom he fought, was the first King of Portugal...
and his successor, King Sancho I
Sancho I of Portugal
Sancho I , nicknamed the Populator , second monarch of Portugal, was born on 11 November 1154 in Coimbra and died on 26 March 1212 in the same city. He was the second but only surviving legitimate son and fourth child of Afonso I of Portugal by his wife, Maud of Savoy. Sancho succeeded his father...
. The kings lie on their tombs, clad in full armour, with hands joined in prayer and a lion or dog (symbol of fidelity) at their feet. Their serene expression is such that one would think that they are asleep. The tombs are set in large niches richly decorated with statues, flowers and medaillons in Late Gothic and Early Renaissance style, with on top the crosses of the Order of Christ
Order of Christ
Order of Christ may refer to:* Order of Christ – former Knights Templar Order awarded initially by the kings of Portugal, now by the Portuguese state...
.
Doctor of the Church
Doctor of the Church is a title given by a variety of Christian churches to individuals whom they recognize as having been of particular importance, particularly regarding their contribution to theology or doctrine.-Catholic Church:In the Catholic Church, this name is given to a saint from whose...
in the portal, made between 1522 and 1525 , were carved by Nicolau Chanterene and Jean de Rouen. They are the most emblematic piece of the whole monastic ensemble, harmonising the artistic elements of the Manueline
Manueline
The Manueline, or Portuguese late Gothic, is the sumptuous, composite Portuguese style of architectural ornamentation of the first decades of the 16th century, incorporating maritime elements and representations of the discoveries brought from the voyages of Vasco da Gama and Pedro Álvares Cabral...
with other features from Renaissance inspiration.
But the ornate, polygonal pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
(1521) in the private chapel of the monastery is considered a masterwork of Chanterene and one of the most beautiful Renaissance pulpits in the world. Around the seated Doctors of the Church one can find niches, baldachins, pilasters and emblatures.
In 1520, together with Diogo de Castilho, he sculpted the Renaissance portal of the Santa Cruz Monastery
Santa Cruz Monastery
The Santa Cruz Monastery, The Santa Cruz Monastery, The Santa Cruz Monastery, (English: Monastery of the Holy Cross, Portuguese: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz, best known as Igreja (Church) de Santa Cruz is a National Monument in Coimbra, Portugal. Because the first two kings of Portugal are buried in the...
in Coimbra. But these life-size statues are now badly damaged
In 1522 he got a commission for a retable in Ança limestone (a local limestone) for the Monastery of São Marcos de Tentúgal
Tentúgal
Tentúgal is a parish of Montemor-o-Velho Municipality, Coimbra District, Portugal. The village is well known in Portugal for its old and unique conventual cakes. Sisnando Davides, Count of Coimbra, was born in Tentúgal in the 11th century....
(near Coimbra). He depicts, just as in the Belém portal, the kneeling figures of the donors, but this time in Renaissance style. He probably only sculpted the principal figures : chief justice Aires Gomes da Silva and his wife Guiomar de Castro. The figures in the “Deposition of Christ” were modelled by him in clay, leaving the carving to his assistants.
In 1526 he was promoted by king João III
John III of Portugal
John III , nicknamed o Piedoso , was the fifteenth King of Portugal and the Algarves. He was the son of King Manuel I and Maria of Aragon, the third daughter of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile...
to the honorary title of royal herald. In the same year, he sculpted the arch over the door between the cloister and the chapter house of the Mosteiro de Celas in Coimbra
The damaged retable in the Renaissance chapel of St. Peter in the Old Cathedral of Coimbra
Old Cathedral of Coimbra
The Old Cathedral of Coimbra is one of the most important Romanesque Roman Catholic buildings in Portugal. Construction of the Sé Velha began some time after the Battle of Ourique , when Count Afonso Henriques declared himself King of Portugal and chose Coimbra as capital...
is also attributed to Chanterene. (sometimes to Jean de Rouen). The central theme of the elegant decorations and carvings is Quo vadis
Quo vadis
Quo vadis? is a Latin phrase meaning "Where are you going?" or "Whither goest thou?" The modern usage of the phrase refers to Christian tradition, related in the apocryphal Acts of Peter , in which Saint Peter meets Jesus as Peter is fleeing from likely crucifixion in Rome...
? (Where are you going ?)
Lisbon (1527–1533)
King João III probably brought Chanterene with him to his court in Lisbon in 1527. He came here in contact with the new artistic developments in Europe by studying architectural treatises and imported engravings. This manifests itself clearly in the magnificent marble and alabaster retableRetable
A retable is a framed altarpiece, raised slightly above the back of the altar or communion table, on which are placed the cross, ceremonial candlesticks and other ornaments....
of the chapel Nossa Senhora da Pena in the Pena National Palace
Pena National Palace
The Pena National Palace is a Romanticist palace in São Pedro de Penaferrim, municipality of Sintra, Portugal. The palace stands on the top of a hill above the town of Sintra, and on a clear day it can be easily seen from Lisbon and much of its metropolitan area. It is a national monument and...
in Sintra. It is generally recognized as his finest work through its composition and the exquisite carving, showing already first signs of Mannerism
Mannerism
Mannerism is a period of European art that emerged from the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520. It lasted until about 1580 in Italy, when a more Baroque style began to replace it, but Northern Mannerism continued into the early 17th century throughout much of Europe...
.
Évora (1533–1555)
From 1533 he stayed at the court in ÉvoraÉvora
Évora is a municipality in Portugal. It has total area of with a population of 55,619 inhabitants. It is the seat of the Évora District and capital of the Alentejo region. The municipality is composed of 19 civil parishes, and is located in Évora District....
, entering in daily contact with noblemen, humanists, such as Andre de Resende
Andre de Resende
André de Resende , the father of archaeology in Portugal, a Dominican friar.He spent many years traveling in Spain, France and Belgium, where he corresponded with Erasmus and other learned men. He was also intimate with King John III and his sons, and acted as tutor to the Infante D...
, and the highest ecclesiastical ranks.
In 1537 he sculpted the alabaster tomb for the archbishop of Évora, Dom Afonso de Portugal, and the marble grave of D. Duarte da Costa, governor of Brazil, both now on display at the museum of Évora.
The design of the church of Nossa Senhora da Graça in Évora in 1542 is also ascribed to Nicholau Chanterene and Miguel Arruda.
Conclusion
One can see in the evolution of his works the changes that occurred in the arts in Spain and Portugal in the first half of the 16th century. Breaking a centuries-long tradition, he would rather associate with scholars and humanists, than with artists belonging to his own craft.His influence on Portuguese sculpture is rather limited, as he didn’t have a permanent workshop. However he had some influence as can be seen in the works of the sculptors Jean de Rouen and Diogo Pires the Younger.