Retable was painted by Master of Cubélls in 1400-01-01.

Where can I see Retable?

Retable is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is Retable?

Retable is associated with Gothic painting.

Artwork

Retable

Master of Cubélls , 1400

Retable is a tempera painting by the Gothic painting artist Master of Cubélls. It dates from 1400 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Technique & Style

The Retable is executed in tempera on a gessoed canvas support, a medium typical of early fifteenth-century Spanish panel painting.

The Retable is executed in tempera on a gessoed canvas support, a medium typical of early fifteenth-century Spanish panel painting. Its substantial dimensions, 389 by 240 cm according to one record, or 179.1 by 96.5 cm in another, suggest a large-scale devotional altarpiece format suited to a religious setting. The work belongs to the genre of religious art and depicts a male figure.

As a painting by the Master of Cubélls, dated to around 1400, it exemplifies the International Gothic style prevalent in Catalan art of this period, characterized by refined linearity and devotional iconography.

History & Provenance

The work is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, where it is recorded under the accession numbers 1975.1.135 and 1975.1.136.

It was exhibited as part of the museum’s holdings; the earliest documented display occurred in the exhibition “The International Style: The Arts in Europe Around 1400,” held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, from August 15 to November 13, 1962.

Overview

This Retable, a tempera painting created around 1400 by the artist known as the Master of Cubélls, is a large, intricately carved wooden panel. It features numerous small religious scenes densely populated with figures. Currently housed at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the work exemplifies late medieval devotional art, combining painting with sculptural elements to present a complex visual narrative.

Subject & Meaning

The artwork presents a series of religious episodes, though the specific narrative sequence is not immediately evident. At its core, a central panel depicts a woman cradling a child, encircled by various angels and saints. Throughout the retable, figures in rigid drapery occupy every available space, depicted kneeling, standing, or ascending.

Recurring motifs such as halos, books, and crowns emphasize the sacred nature of the depicted individuals and events.

Artist & collection

Artist

Master of Cubélls

Master of Cubélls is the conventional name given to an anonymous Catalan painter active roughly between 1374 and 1406, during the International Gothic period in the Crown of Aragon.