Study of tempera painting on canvas in Spain in the XVI century through old documents: painted sargas inside houses

Abstract

Tempera painting on canvas were used throughout history for multiple functions, both sacred and profane. So, they were used as altar curtains, decorative elements in courteous parties, tombs, theater scenery paintings, hangings that decorate the walls, etc. The present article study one of these types of temple, in concrete, the one called sargas pintadas. On the basis of an old documentation studio, especially of treaties, ordinances of painters and inventories of goods, the concept of this type of painting has been defined, as the main objetive of this research.
As can be appreciated in the article, these are works that were implemented with decorative function and as insulating elements for the cold and warmth inside the houses. Also, the study carried out shows that painted sargas shared this function with another type of sargas, embroidered, in some cases made of silk, and also with other decorative elements such as tapestries and guadamecíes, considered more sumptuous. The study carried out allows to delimit the time of the sargas, until the end of the 16th century. Other types of tempera paintings on canvas at that time, such as altar curtains, received other designations based on their functionality, though the pictorial technique applied to them is also tempera painting. Furthermore, the term sargas will not be used in artistic treatises to designate later temples.
These kind of works that had an ornamental function in domestic interiors are also found in other countries, as Netherlands and England, where lately researches on this particular issue have also been carried out.