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Late 16th-century Catalan School, Saint Madrona of Thessalonica, Patron Saint of Barcelona - Antique Tempera on Panel
Sold by Brave Fine Art
sold SA1108096
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Brave Fine Art

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Late 16th-century Catalan School, Saint Madrona of Thessalonica, Patron Saint of Barcelona - Antique Tempera on Panel

16th century
Sold 25 August 2025 · Brave Fine Art
This “Late 16th-century Catalan School, Saint Madrona of Thessalonica, Patron Saint of Barcelona - Antique Tempera on Panel” found a buyer.

It was listed by Brave Fine Art. Sold pieces stay on Sellingantiques as a record of what has passed through, and the next one is rarely far away.

Description

This remarkable late 16th-century fragment depicts Saint Madrona, the Patron Saint of Barcelona, Spain, holding a 15th-century carrack and the martyr’s palm frond. She stands before a port and what’s presumed to be the mountain of Montjuïc. Produced in around 1580, on the cusp of the Anglo-Spanish War, this enchanting historical survivor probably once formed part of an altarpiece. Its fixings, many of which are original, have been left intact.

Saint Madrona is a lesser-known Saint of the Catholic Church and very little is recorded about her life. It’s believed that she was born in Barcelona during the third or fourth century and, when orphaned, travelled to live with her uncle in Greece, where she was martyred in Thessalonica. It’s said that following her death, French merchants purchased her body as a business venture, but every time they tried to leave port, they were forced back by storms. This may explain her status as the patron saint of sailors. She’s venerated in Barcelona and several Catalan villages, with her feast day on the 15th of March.

Stylistically, the work is comparable with those of the Catalan Gothic painter, Ramon de Mur (1380-1436), who was attached to the Tarragona school. Although somewhat later, it’s conceivable that it originated in a workshop in or around Tarragona by an artist who was aware of his oeuvre.

The panel is held within a custom iron cradle for presentation on a shelf or sideboard.

Thanks to the National Art Museum of Catalonia and author Marcel Pujol Hamelink.

Medium: Tempera on panel

Overall size: 28” x 21” / 72cm x 53cm

Year of creation: c. 1580

Provenance: Private collection, UK.

Condition: Cleaned. Areas of fine and settled craquelure, as you would expect. Losses. Discoloration. Various fixing nails proud of surface and abrasions.

Our reference: BRV1769

Date of Manufacture

Brave Fine Art has dated this Catalan Tempera Panel Painting to the 16th Century.

Physical Dimensions
Height
53cm (20.87")
Width
72cm (28.35")
Depth
15cm (5.91")
Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1108096
Description
This remarkable late 16th-century fragment depicts Saint Madrona, the Patron Saint of Barcelona, Spain, holding a 15th-century carrack and the martyr’s palm frond. She stands before a port and what’s presumed to be the mountain of Montjuïc.
“
Produced in around 1580, on the cusp of the Anglo-Spanish War, this enchanting historical survivor probably once formed part of an altarpiece.
Brave Fine Art

Its fixings, many of which are original, have been left intact.

fig 1. An antique tempera painting on a weathered wood panel depicting a haloed figure holding a model ship and a palm frond.
fig 1. Late 16th-century Catalan School, Saint Madrona of Thessalonica, Patron Saint of Barcelona - Antique Tempera on Panel

Saint Madrona is a lesser-known Saint of the Catholic Church and very little is recorded about her life. It’s believed that she was born in Barcelona during the third or fourth century and, when orphaned, travelled to live with her uncle in Greece, where she was martyred in Thessalonica. It’s said that following her death, French merchants purchased her body as a business venture, but every time they tried to leave port, they were forced back by storms. This may explain her status as the patron saint of sailors. She’s venerated in Barcelona and several Catalan villages, with her feast day on the 15th of March.

fig 2. An antique tempera painting on a weathered wood panel depicting a haloed figure holding a model ship and a palm frond.
fig 2. Late 16th-century Catalan School, Saint Madrona of Thessalonica, Patron Saint of Barcelona - Antique Tempera on Panel

Stylistically, the work is comparable with those of the Catalan Gothic painter, Ramon de Mur (1380-1436), who was attached to the Tarragona school. Although somewhat later, it’s conceivable that it originated in a workshop in or around Tarragona by an artist who was aware of his oeuvre.

fig 3. An antique tempera painting on a weathered wood panel depicting a haloed figure holding a model ship and a palm frond.
fig 3. Late 16th-century Catalan School, Saint Madrona of Thessalonica, Patron Saint of Barcelona - Antique Tempera on Panel

The panel is held within a custom iron cradle for presentation on a shelf or sideboard.

Thanks to the National Art Museum of Catalonia and author Marcel Pujol Hamelink.

Medium: Tempera on panel

Overall size: 28” x 21” / 72cm x 53cm

fig 4. An antique tempera painting on a weathered wood panel depicting a haloed figure holding a model ship and a palm frond.
fig 4. Late 16th-century Catalan School, Saint Madrona of Thessalonica, Patron Saint of Barcelona - Antique Tempera on Panel

Year of creation: c. 1580

Provenance: Private collection, UK.

Condition: Cleaned. Areas of fine and settled craquelure, as you would expect. Losses. Discoloration. Various fixing nails proud of surface and abrasions.

Our reference: BRV1769

Date of Manufacture

Brave Fine Art has dated this Catalan Tempera Panel Painting to the 16th Century.

Height
53cm (20.87")
Width
72cm (28.35")
Depth
15cm (5.91")
Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1108096
Brave Fine Art
Brave Fine Art
Sellingantiques verified Since Nov 2018

Exquisite antique paintings that capture the imagination.

Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Brave Fine Art Profile Page

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An antique tempera painting on a weathered wood panel depicting a haloed figure holding a model ship and a palm frond. SOLD6+ MONTHS AGO
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Archive I An antique tempera painting on a weathered wood panel depicting a haloed figure holding a model ship and a palm frond. SOLD6+ MONTHS AGO

Late 16th-century Catalan School, Saint Madrona of Thessalonica, Patron Saint of Barcelona - Antique Tempera on Panel

Archive II An antique tempera painting on a weathered wood panel depicting a haloed figure holding a model ship and a palm frond. View II
Archive III An antique tempera painting on a weathered wood panel depicting a haloed figure holding a model ship and a palm frond. View III
Archive IV An antique tempera painting on a weathered wood panel depicting a haloed figure holding a model ship and a palm frond. View IV
Archive V An antique tempera painting on a weathered wood panel depicting a haloed figure holding a model ship and a palm frond. View V
Archive VI An antique tempera painting on a weathered wood panel depicting a haloed figure holding a model ship and a palm frond. View VI
Archive VII An antique tempera painting on a weathered wood panel depicting a haloed figure holding a model ship and a palm frond. View VII
Archive VIII An antique tempera painting on a weathered wood panel depicting a haloed figure holding a model ship and a palm frond. View VIII
Archive IX An antique tempera painting on a weathered wood panel depicting a haloed figure holding a model ship and a palm frond. View IX
Enlarged Archival View
Telephone 01684 215986
Location
21 Enterprise Way
Arle Road
Cheltenham
Cotswolds
GL51 8LZ
United Kingdom

Under appointment only.
Verified Since Nov 2018
Items For Sale 77
Items Sold 1,852
Brave Fine Art
Brave Fine Art
Verified Since Nov 2018
View Dealer Info
Location: 21 Enterprise Way, Arle Road, Cheltenham, Cotswolds, GL51 8LZ, United Kingdom, , Under appointment only.
Verified
Nov 2018
For Sale
77
Sold
1,852
An antique tempera painting on a weathered wood panel depicting a haloed figure holding a model ship and a palm frond.
Late 16th-Century Catalan School, Saint Madrona Of Thessalonica, Patron Saint Of Barcelona - Antique Tempera on Panel
Ref: SA1108096
An antique tempera painting on a weathered wood panel depicting a haloed figure holding a model ship and a palm frond.
Detail View 1
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Archival Detail
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Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing
  • ObjectPaintings
  • Period16th century
  • StyleRenaissance / Spanish Renaissance
  • MaterialWood, Tempera, Gesso, Pigment
  • ColourMuted Red, Ochre, Olive Green
  • MotifsHalo, Model ship, Palm frond, Landscape background
  • SizeH 53 cm (21 in) x W 72 cm (28 in) x D 15 cm (6 in)

Catalan school panel paintings from the late medieval and Renaissance periods typically feature devotional iconography executed in tempera on prepared wooden boards, strongly influenced by regional liturgical traditions and Byzantine artistic conventions.

These works were created using natural earth pigments mixed with egg yolk binder applied to gesso-prepared wooden panels, often reinforced with linen canvas strips and cross-battens to prevent warping.

Authenticity is evaluated through microscopic examination of craquelure, pigment composition analysis, wood shrinkage patterns, hand-adzed board construction, and historical tool marks on the reverse of the panel.

Such historic artworks can be mounted on a neutral wall using museum-grade brackets or displayed on a dedicated display stand within a minimalist setting to let the texture and age of the piece command attention.

Preservation requires maintaining stable relative humidity between 45 to 55 percent and consistent indoor temperatures while avoiding direct sunlight and sudden environmental fluctuations.
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