The legitimization of cardinal Mella, and other alternatives before the San Ildefonso altarpiece by Fernando Gallego in Zamora

Abstract

In this text we present different ways to study of San Ildefonso altarpiece, signed by the painter, Fernando Gallego (Cathedral of Zamora, 15th.). We remember its critical historiography, and edited documents about the reinventions of Ildefonso’s relic in Zamora, as well as literary descriptions of the donor, Cardinal Juan de Mella, which had not been sufficiently considered, in our opinion. The picture is also compared with other representations, that allow us to conect the work with papal models. We delve into the local context too, where the clergy from Zamora contact with Toledo’s and Oviedo’s churches, through the promotion of the cult of Ildefonso. In addition, we remember the dark face of cardinal Mella, which is hidden or 'cleansed' with the honorific altarpiece. So we can propose alternatives to the unresolved question of his commission, and deduce one of the political functions of the work: the legitimization of a powerful lineage head, infamous to his detractors.