Artwork
En el coro
En el coro is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Vicente Borrás Abella. It dates from 1896 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
A crucifix is included among the depicted elements, reinforcing the ecclesiastical context and signaling the devotional purpose of the music.
En el coro depicts a gathering of musicians assembled within the choir loft of a church, the setting implied by the work's title. The painting shows performers playing a double bass, cello, and clarinet, alongside an organ, instruments that together suggest a liturgical ensemble accompanying a religious service. A crucifix is included among the depicted elements, reinforcing the ecclesiastical context and signaling the devotional purpose of the music.
The combination of sacred symbol and instrumental ensemble conveys the integration of musical performance and worship central to Spanish church life, presenting the choir as a space where liturgical music and religious iconography converge.
The work portrays the everyday reality of church musicians at their post, while the visible crucifix anchors the scene in its sacred function, transforming a genre observation of musicians into a quiet meditation on faith and ritual.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1890, En el coro is an oil painting applied to a canvas support. The work measures 153 cm in height and 200 cm in width. Visually, the composition depicts a musical ensemble within a religious setting, featuring specific instruments such as a double bass, cello, clarinet, and organ alongside a crucifix. These elements combine to establish a scene focused on the intersection of sacred space and musical performance.
History & Provenance
The painting En el coro was created by Vicente Borrás Abella in 1890, as indicated by its internal documentation and confirmed by its Wikidata entry.
The work entered the collection of the Museo del Prado, where it remains housed, as recorded by the museum’s holdings. Its dimensions are 153 cm in height and 200 cm in width, matching the catalogued specifications for the painting in the Prado’s collection.
Overview
Created in 1896, this oil on canvas by Spanish artist Vicente Borrás Abella captures a liturgical music rehearsal within a historic church interior. The composition centers on a group of young singers and instrumentalists arranged before a wooden podium, while a prominent crucifix and a large organ occupy the background.
Context
The depiction reflects the tradition of church choirs and instrumental ensembles common in Spain during the 1800s, when ecclesiastical music education often involved young choristers in distinctive robes. The inclusion of a cello and clarinet illustrates the expanding instrumental palette of liturgical music at that time.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Las postrimerías de Fernando III el Santo
Ensayo al órgano
Interior with an Organist and a Procession
Before Blessing at the Church of Hoogstraten
The painter Hugo van der Goes in the Rouge-Cloître Abbey
Penitents in the Lower Basilica of Assisi
The Organ Rehearsal
Exorcism of Joanna of Castile
Confessional, Church of St. Paul, Antwerp
Under gudstjenesten i en kirke på Amager