Felipe Bigarny
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Felipe Bigarny (c. 1475 – 10 November 1542), also known as Felipe Vigarny, Felipe Biguerny or Felipe de Borgoña, etc. and sometimes referred to as ''El Borgoñón'' (the Burgundian), was a sculptor born in
Burgundy Burgundy ( ; ; Burgundian: ''Bregogne'') is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. ...
(France) but who made his career in Spain and was one of the leading sculptors of the
Spanish Renaissance The Spanish Renaissance was a movement in Spain, emerging from the Italian Renaissance in Italy during the 14th century, that spread to Spain during the 15th and 16th centuries. This new focus in art, literature, Quotation, quotes and scienc ...
. He was also an architect. His work shows
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, Burgundian, and
Italian Renaissance The Italian Renaissance ( ) was a period in History of Italy, Italian history between the 14th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Western Europe and marked t ...
influences. He gained great prestige working in various parts of Spain which led to his becoming the master sculptor and carver of the
Burgos Cathedral The Cathedral of Saint Mary of Burgos () is a Catholic church dedicated to the Virgin Mary located in the historical center of the Spanish city of Burgos. Its official name is the Holy Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica Church of St Mary of Burgos ...
. He also played a role in creating many important works for the
Crown of Castile The Crown of Castile was a medieval polity in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and, some decades later, the parliaments of the kingdoms of Kingdom of Castile, Castile and Kingd ...
, simultaneously operating several studios, and thus became quite wealthy.


Biography


Youth

Born in
Langres Langres () is a commune in France, commune in northeastern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Departments of France, department of Haute-Marne, in the Regions of France, region of Grand Est. History As the capital ...
, Burgundy around 1475, Bigarny arrived in Italy as a youth and appears to have studied in Rome. As a result, Italian Renaissance influences can be found even in his early
Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, a Germanic people **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Gothic alphabet, an alphabet used to write the Gothic language ** Gothic ( ...
sculptural work.


Life in Spain

In 1498, at about the age of 23, he traveled the pilgrim route to Santiago, staying on in Burgos."Felipe Bigarny", Real Academia de la Historia
/ref> There he executed the technically precise reliefs of the main
retrochoir In church architecture, a retroquire (also spelled retrochoir), or back-choir, is the space behind the high altar in a church or cathedral, which sometimes separates it from the end chapel. It may contain seats for the church choir. An example o ...
of the cathedral, which led to further contracts and a lifelong career in Spain. He would end up working in every sculptural genre of the time, executing both sculptures and decoration, and working in both stone and wood. In 1499 Bigarny designed the basic structure of the main altarpiece of the
Toledo Cathedral The Primatial Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption (), is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Toledo, Spain. It is the seat of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Toledo. Since 1088, it holds the honorific title of Primatial, granted by ...
, for which he was contracted by Cardinal Archbishop
Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros, OFM (1436 – 8 November 1517) was a Spanish cardinal, religious figure, and statesman. Starting from humble beginnings he rose to the heights of power, becoming a religious reformer, twice regent of Spain, ...
. He also prepared a figure of Saint
Mark the Evangelist Mark the Evangelist (Koine Greek, Koinē Greek: Μᾶρκος, romanized: ''Mârkos''), also known as John Mark (Koine Greek, Koinē Greek language, Greek: Ἰωάννης Μᾶρκος, Romanization of Greek, romanized: ''Iōánnēs Mârkos;'' ...
and agreed to sculpt several reliefs for the altarpiece, which he did between that time and 1504. In those same years, he also made sculptures of Saints
Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; ; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430) was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Africa. His writings deeply influenced the development of Western philosop ...
, Barbara,
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,
Jerome Jerome (; ; ; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was an early Christian presbyter, priest, Confessor of the Faith, confessor, theologian, translator, and historian; he is commonly known as Saint Jerome. He is best known ...
,
John the Baptist John the Baptist ( – ) was a Jewish preacher active in the area of the Jordan River in the early first century AD. He is also known as Saint John the Forerunner in Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy, John the Immerser in some Baptist ...
and of
the Assumption The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it on 1 November 1950 in his apostolic constitution as follows: It leaves open the question of whether Mary died or whether she was ra ...
for the altarpiece of the
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. He next began plans for the chapel of the Sanctuary of the
Palencia Cathedral The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Antoninus () is a Roman Catholic church located in Palencia, Spain. It is dedicated to Saint Antoninus of Pamiers. History The cathedral was built from 1172 to 1504 stands over a low-vaulted Visigothic crypt (the Cr ...
, making it clear that although most of the work would be done by others in his studio, he personally would sculpt the faces and hands. On 12 December 1506, Bigarny delivered seventeen sculptures (among them a
polychrome Polychrome is the "practice of decorating architectural elements, sculpture, etc., in a variety of colors." The term is used to refer to certain styles of architecture, pottery, or sculpture in multiple colors. When looking at artworks and ...
d Saint
Antoninus of Pamiers Saint Antoninus of Pamiers (, , and ) was an early Christian missionary and martyr, called the "Apostle of the Rouergue". His life is dated to the first, second, fourth, and fifth century by various sources since he is often confused with various ...
, the titular saint of the cathedral) and on 19 October 1509 he delivered the remaining nine figures. These were brought together on the main altarpiece of that cathedral. In 1509 he returned to Burgos to work with
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on the
choir stall A choir, also sometimes called quire, is the area of a church or cathedral that provides seating for the clergy and church choir. It is in the western part of the chancel, between the nave and the sanctuary, which houses the altar and Church tab ...
s of the Burgos Cathedral, a project completed in 1512. The panels of the top row of side chairs are attributed to him and his workshop. In 1513 he designed the
baldachin A baldachin, or baldaquin (from ), is a canopy of state typically placed over an altar or throne. It had its beginnings as a cloth canopy, but in other cases it is a sturdy, permanent Architecture, architectural feature, particularly over Alta ...
of the tomb of
Dominic de la Calzada Dominic de la Calzada (or Dominic of the Causeway) () (1019 – 12 May 1109) was a saint from a cottage in Burgos very close to La Rioja. Life Born Domingo García in Viloria de Rioja, he was the son of a peasant named Ximeno García. His moth ...
for the
Cathedral of Santo Domingo de la Calzada The Cathedral of Santo Domingo de la Calzada is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the village of Santo Domingo de la Calzada in La Rioja, Spain. It is dedicated to the Saviour and St Mary. History Santo Domingo de la Calzada is on the Camino de S ...
(in
Santo Domingo de la Calzada Santo Domingo de la Calzada is a municipality in La Rioja La Rioja () is an autonomous communities in Spain, autonomous community and provinces of Spain, province in Spain, in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. Its capital is Logroño. Other ...
,
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, Spain); his design was executed by Juan de Rasines. In 1516 he began work on the main entrance and main altarpiece of the Church of Saint Thomas in
Haro, La Rioja Haro () is a town and municipality in the northwest of La Rioja province in Northern Spain. It hosts the annual Haro Wine Festival, as it produces red wine. Its architectural heritage includes the plateresque main entrance of the Church of Sant ...
, completed in 1519. That year he also lived for a time in
Casalarreina Casalarreina is a town located in the Provinces of Spain, province of La Rioja (autonomous community), La Rioja, Spain. It is located from Logroño, the capital of La Rioja, in the north-west. The first documents about the village were around 117 ...
, La Rioja, where he may have collaborated in the construction of the La Piedad Monastery, although there is no documentary evidence for this. In this same period he executed a profile relief of Cardenal Cisneros, which can now be seen in the
Complutense University of Madrid The Complutense University of Madrid (, UCM; ) is a public research university located in Madrid. Founded in Alcalá in 1293 (before relocating to Madrid in 1836), it is one of the oldest operating universities in the world, and one of Spain's ...
. There is also documentary evidence of a similar relief of
Antonio de Nebrija Antonio de Nebrija (14445 July 1522) was the most influential Spanish humanist of his era. He wrote poetry, commented on literary works, and encouraged the study of classical languages and literature, but his most important contributions were i ...
. Bigarny married María Sáez Pardo, a widow with sons who had emigrated to the Americas; they had five further children. The first of these, Gregorio Pardo, born 1517, was the only one to follow in his father's career, collaborating with him toward the end of his life and continuing Bigarny's studio in the
Archdiocese of Toledo The Archdiocese of Toledo () is a Latin Church archdiocese of the Catholic Church located in Spain.
. His influence extended to much sculpture in Burgos and throughout Castile in the first third of the 16th century and was even stronger at mid-century, until the rise of
Romanism ''Romanism'' is a derogatory term for Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholicism used when anti-Catholicism was more common in the United States. The term was frequently used in late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century Republican Party (United ...
. In 1519 he collaborated with
Alonso Berruguete Alonso González de Berruguete ( – 1561) was a Spanish Painting, painter, Sculpture, sculptor and architect. He is considered to be the most important sculptor of the Spanish Renaissance, and is known for his emotive sculptures depicting re ...
on the tomb of Cardinal Juan Selvagio in
Zaragoza Zaragoza (), traditionally known in English as Saragossa ( ), is the capital city of the province of Zaragoza and of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributaries, the ...
; the pair probably continued a collaboration on the
Royal Chapel of Granada The Royal Chapel of Granada () is an Isabelline style building in Granada, Spain. Constructed between 1505 and 1517, it was originally integrated in the complex of the neighbouring Granada Cathedral. It is the burial place of the Spanish monarchs ...
, which Bigarny appears to have helped design in 1521, but he was not actively involved in the construction.


Collaboration with Diego de Siloé

Upon returning to Burgos he began a collaboration with the Burgalese
Diego de Siloé Diego Siloe (anglicized) or Diego de Siloé (c. 1495–1563) was a Spanish Renaissance architect and sculptor, progenitor of the Granadan school of sculpture. He developed the majority of his work in Andalusia. Biography Siloe was most likely ...
, who had returned in 1519 after studying in Italy. Bigarny and Diego de Siloé had a strong rivalry, although the latter was always ascendant. In 1523 the two executed the Saint Peter altarpiece in the Capilla de los Condestable ("Chapel of the Constables", referring to the title of
Constable of Castile Constable of Castile () was a title of a military nature created by John I, King of Castile in 1382, as a result of the Third Fernandine War against the Portuguese and the English. The post substituted the title of ''Alférez Mayor del Reino'' ...
) of the Burgos Cathedral. In that same chapel, between 1523 and 1526 they created, for the main altarpiece, the figures of the
Presentation of Jesus at the Temple The Presentation of Jesus is an early episode in the life of Jesus Christ, describing his presentation at the Temple in Jerusalem. It is celebrated by many churches 40 days after Christmas on Candlemas, or the "Feast of the Presentation of Jes ...
, considered one of the most beautiful works of the Spanish Renaissance. No later than 1534, Bigarny had also executed the recumbent sculptures in the chapel of
Pedro Fernández de Velasco, 2nd Count of Haro Pedro Fernández de Velasco, 2nd Count of Haro (in full, ) (c. 1425 – 1492) was a Spanish nobleman and military figure of the last stages of the Reconquista. Biography Fernández de Velasco was born in Burgos, the son of Pedro Fernández de V ...
and his wife. Aware of his fame and prestige in the city, Bigarny took permanent residence in Burgos, first in a building in the San Juan neighborhood and then in a distinguished house next to the Casa de la Moneda. In 1524 he contracted for work on the tomb of the
canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the material accepted as officially written by an author or an ascribed author * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western canon, th ...
Gonzalo Díez de Lerma, also in the Burgos Cathedral, in the Capilla de la Presentación ("Chapel of the Presentation"). This very expressive sculpture shows influences from Diego de Siloé. Although there is no documentary evidence, he is believed in these years to have completed the altarpiece of
Santiago de la Puebla Santiago de la Puebla is a village and municipality in the province of Salamanca, western Spain, part of the autonomous community of Castile-Leon. It is located 54 kilometres from the provincial capital city of Salamanca and has a population of 4 ...
(
province of Salamanca Salamanca () is a province of western Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Castile and León (Castilla y León). It is bordered by the provinces of Ávila, Cáceres, Valladolid, and Zamora, and on the west by Portugal. It ...
) and the sculptures of the ''Virgen de la Silla'' (the Virgin Mary with the Christ child and the young
John the Baptist John the Baptist ( – ) was a Jewish preacher active in the area of the Jordan River in the early first century AD. He is also known as Saint John the Forerunner in Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy, John the Immerser in some Baptist ...
) and the ''Virgin and Child'' for the Church of the Assumption in
El Barco de Ávila El Barco de Ávila is a municipality located in the Ávila (province), province of Ávila, Castile and León, Spain. It forms part of the region of El Barco de Ávila - Piedrahíta, and is located in the valley of Tormes River, and is the hea ...
. This last, pictured at the beginning of this article, is now in the National Sculpture Museum in
Valladolid Valladolid ( ; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and ''de facto'' capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the pr ...
. Artistic similarities suggest that the tomb of canon Diego Bilbao and an altarpiece in the parish of Cardeñuela Riopico are also by Bigarny. In 1526 the book ''Medidas del Romano'' by Diego de Sagredo, one of the first Spanish-language books on architecture, praised Bigarny's sculpture, leading to commissions from various parts of Spain. In 1527 he completed the altarpiece of the Descent or of the Pillar in the Toledo Cathedral, which he had probably begun in 1520. This work is also much influenced by Siloé, although soon thereafter their working relationship came to an end over differences about a contract to construct the tower of the Church of the Assumption of Our Lady in
Santa María del Campo Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Christma ...
, which resulted in a successful lawsuit by Siloé against Bigarny.


Later years

In 1530 he provided an opinion on the work for the
Salamanca Cathedral The Catedral de la Asunción de la Virgen (Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary), popularly known as New Cathedral () is, together with the Old Cathedral, Salamanca, Old Cathedral, one of the two cathedrals of Salamanca, Castile and Le ...
. Between 1531 and 1533 he sculpted the tomb of Bishop
Alonso de Burgos Alonso is a Spanish name of Germanic origin that is a Castilian variant of ''Adalfuns''. The original Visigothic name ''Alfonso'' suffered the phonetic change of the phoneme /f/ into the mute /h/ in the Early Middle Ages (around 9th Century), w ...
for the chapel of the
Colegio de San Gregorio The Colegio de San Gregorio is an Isabelline style building located in the city of Valladolid, in Castile and León, Spain, it was formerly a college and now is housing the National Museum of Sculpture. This building is one of the best examples ...
in Valladolid (now the site of the National Museum of Sculpture). This tomb was much praised at the time, but is considered in retrospect not to be among his better works. In 1534 he sculpted the tomb of Pedro Manso, bishop of
Osma Burgo de Osma-Ciudad de Osma is the third-largest municipality in the province of Soria, in the autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. It has a population of about 5,250. It is made up of two parts: *the smaller Ciudad de Osma (city ...
, for the
Monastery of San Salvador de Oña The Monastery of San Salvador (Holy Savior) was a Order of St. Benedictine, Benedictine monastery in the town of Oña, in the province of Burgos, central Spain, founded in 1011, which lasted until the 19th century. History Benedictine monastery T ...
. When his wife María died, he soon remarried in 1535 to Francisca Velasco. In 1535 the chapter of the Toledo Cathedral solicited designs for the choir stall of the Cathedral from Bigarny, as well as from Diego de Siloe, Juan Picardo, and Alonso Berruguete. They ultimately contracted on 1 January 1539 with Bigarny and Berruguete to create thirty choir stalls each. Bigarny created those along the side of the Evangelist, and also on the Archbishop's side. In 1536 he signed a contract stipulating that within the next two years he would produce two tombs, one for Diego de Avellaneda, Bishop of Tuy (in the Monastery of Saint Jerome in Espeja (
province of Soria Soria is a Province (Spain), province of central Spain, in the eastern part of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile-Leon, Castile and León. Most of the province is in the mountainous Sistema Ibérico area. Demo ...
) and the other for his father (now conserved in
Alcalá de Henares Alcalá de Henares () is a Spanish municipality of the Community of Madrid. Housing is primarily located on the right (north) bank of the Henares River, Henares. , it has a population of 193,751, making it the region's third-most populated Municip ...
).Sepulcro de don Diego de Avellaneda, Obispo de Tuy
https://web.archive.org/web/20080511200257/http://museoescultura.mcu.es/coleccion/obras/vigarny.html Sepulcro de don Diego de Avellaneda, Obispo de Tuy], National Museum of Sculpture (Valladolid), originally at http://museoescultura.mcu.es/coleccion/obras/vigarny.html, archived on the
Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American 501(c)(3) organization, non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle that runs a digital library website, archive.org. It provides free access to collections of digitized media including web ...
2008-05-11.
However, in 1539 these had still not been built, because he had taken on other projects. These figures in the round were subcontracted to Enrique de Maestrique. They would be among the works left incomplete at the time of his death, and were finished by Juan de Gómez. The tomb of Diego de Avellaneda was bought by the Spanish state in 1932 for the National Sculpture Museum. In 1541 he contracted to produce an altarpiece for the Hospital of Santa Cruz in Toledo (now a museum), but it was never executed. He died in 1542 leaving behind projected or incomplete works in Toledo (where Berruguete followed through his work),
Peñaranda de Duero Peñaranda de Duero is a village and ''municipio'' located in the province of Burgos, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census ( INE), the municipality has a population of 583 inhabitants. The village is conserved as a '' conjunto ...
, Valpuesta, and Burgos. He had studios set up in all these places, each of which had trusted delegates who were in charge in his absence. Among these were Maese Enrique, Sebastián de Salinas, Juan de Goyaz, his son Gregorio Pardo, and most importantly Diego Guillén, who was married to one of Bigarny's sisters-in-law.


Descendants

With María Sáez Pardo he had five children, including sculptor Gregorio Pardo and Clara, known in Burgos for her beauty and dubbed ''"la niña de plata"'' ("the silver girl"). With Francisca Velasco he had another five children.


Works

The largest number of Bigarny's works are in Burgos, where he lived a long portion of his life, and in Toledo, where he had his most prominent studio.


Sculptures

Bigarny worked primarily as a sculptor, and it was as a sculptor that he became most famous in his own lifetime.


Burgos Cathedral


= Relief of the Road to Calvary

= Bagarny's first work in Burgos was a vast relief for the cathedral chapter, representing the Road to
Calvary Calvary ( or ) or Golgotha () was a site immediately outside Jerusalem's walls where, according to Christianity's four canonical gospels, Jesus was crucified. Since at least the early medieval period, it has been a destination for pilgrimage. ...
, which was used to decorate the central wall panel of the retrochoir of the Burgos Cathedral. He began this work in 1498 and finished in March 1499, meeting the deadline for which he had contracted, and receiving 200
ducat The ducat ( ) coin was used as a trade coin in Europe from the later Middle Ages to the 19th century. Its most familiar version, the gold ducat or sequin containing around of 98.6% fine gold, originated in Venice in 1284 and gained wide inter ...
s per the contract, plus another 30 ducats out of appreciation for the excellence of his work. The work had a great impact because it went beyond the Late Gothic style, and included the first example in Spain of Renaissance ornamentation in the pilasters of the gate of Jerusalem, which included classical motifs alluding to the
labors of Hercules Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labo ...
. This led to further commissions for sculptures in Burgos.


= Two additional reliefs in the retrochoir

= The chapter next commissioned two high reliefs for two other panels of the retrochoir. The first represented the
Crucifixion Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the condemned is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross, beam or stake and left to hang until eventual death. It was used as a punishment by the Achaemenid Empire, Persians, Ancient Carthag ...
; the second the
Descent from the Cross The Descent from the Cross (, ''Apokathelosis''), or Deposition of Christ, is the scene, as depicted in art, from the Gospels' accounts of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus taking Christ down from the cross after his crucifixion (John 19, ). I ...
and the
Resurrection of Jesus The resurrection of Jesus () is Christianity, Christian belief that God in Christianity, God Resurrection, raised Jesus in Christianity, Jesus from the dead on the third day after Crucifixion of Jesus, his crucifixion, starting—or Preexis ...
. Both were completed in 1503. The three reliefs show Bigarny's early style, largely influenced by the Late Gothic style of Northern Europe. The figures are of noble bearing, the attitudes and gestures are dramatic, the expression forceful and moving. There were also Renaissance elements such as movement and the diagonal composition of the first panel. The poor quality of the stone for the sculptures of the Burgos Cathedral has resulted in grave damage over the years, though more in the Apostles executed by Simón de Colonia and his studio than in Bigarny's work.


= Chapel of the Constables

= Together with Diego de Siloé, Bigarny constructed the altarpiece of the Chapel of the Constables of Castile. The recumbent sculptures of Constable Pedro Fernández de Velasco and his wife Mencía de Mendoza y Figueroa are sculpted from
Carrara marble Carrara marble, or Luna marble (''marmor lunense'') to the Romans, is a type of white or blue-grey marble popular for use in sculpture and building decor. It has been quarried since Roman times in the mountains just outside the city of Carrara ...
.


= Other contributions

= Along with
Andrés de Nájera Andres or Andrés may refer to: *Andres, Illinois, an unincorporated community in Will County, Illinois, US *Andres, Pas-de-Calais, a commune in Pas-de-Calais, France *Andres (name) *Hurricane Andres * "Andres" (song), a 1994 song by L7 See also ...
and possibly Guillén de Holanda, Bigarny designed and executed the reliefs for the choir stalls of the Burgos Cathedral (1505–1512), using motifs from the Old and New Testaments and the lives of Christian saints. Bigarny designed and executed the
alabaster Alabaster is a mineral and a soft Rock (geology), rock used for carvings and as a source of plaster powder. Archaeologists, geologists, and the stone industry have different definitions for the word ''alabaster''. In archaeology, the term ''alab ...
tomb of the canon Gonzalo de Lerma in the Chapel of the Presentation (1524).


Other works

* The main altarpiece of the
Cathedral of Toledo The Primatial Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption (), is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Toledo, Spain. It is the seat of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Toledo. Since 1088, it holds the honorific title of Primatial, granted by ...
(1500–1503). Executed in collaboration with
Diego Copín de Holanda Diego is a Spanish masculine given name. The Portuguese equivalent is Diogo. The etymology of Diego is disputed, with two major origin hypotheses: ''Tiago'' and ''Didacus''. The name also has several patronymic derivations, listed below. ...
. The Gothic style of this sculptural and architectural assemblage contrasts with the Renaissance style of the Descent From the Cross in the same cathedral. * Altarpiece of the
University of Salamanca The University of Salamanca () is a public university, public research university in Salamanca, Spain. Founded in 1218 by Alfonso IX of León, King Alfonso IX, it is the oldest university in the Hispanic world and the fourth oldest in the ...
(1503). * Sculpture of the altarpiece of the main chapel of
Palencia Cathedral The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Antoninus () is a Roman Catholic church located in Palencia, Spain. It is dedicated to Saint Antoninus of Pamiers. History The cathedral was built from 1172 to 1504 stands over a low-vaulted Visigothic crypt (the Cr ...
(1505–1507). Bigarny is believed to have had relatively little involvement in this work of his studio; only the faces are his own work. * For Cardinal Cisneros in Alcalá de Henares (1512). * Altarpiece for the Chapel of the Kings in the Church of San Gil Abad (early 16th century). Bot the architecture and the sculpture mix Late Gothic tradition with some Renaissance elements. It was inspired by the Capilla de la Buena Mañana ("Chapel of the Good Morning") in the same parish. * Altarpiece for the
Cathedral of Alcalá de Henares A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...
and two altarpieces for
Torrelaguna Torrelaguna () is a municipality in the Community of Madrid, Spain. It covers an area of 43.40 km2. , it has a population of 4,940. History Public transport Torrelaguna has three line buses. They are: Line 197: Torrelaguna - Madrid (Pl ...
(a municipality that is now part of Madrid, early 16th century). Commissioned by Cardinal Cisneros and executed together with
León Picardo Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to: Places Europe * León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León * Province of León, Spain * Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again fro ...
. * Altarpiece for Don Gutierre de Mier and for the church of
Cervera de Pisuerga Cervera de Pisuerga is a municipality located on the banks of the Pisuerga River in the province of Palencia, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2018 census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematica ...
(
province of Palencia Palencia is a Provinces of Spain, province of northern Spain, in the northern part of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile-Leon, Castile and León in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. It is bordered by the provi ...
, 1513). * Altarpiece of the devotion to
Saint Bartholomew Bartholomew was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. Most scholars today identify Bartholomew as Nathanael, who appears in the Gospel of John (1:45–51; cf. 21:2). New Testament references The name ''Bartholomew ...
(1514). This was for the altar of the confraternity of Saint Bartholomew, in the Church of Saint Stephen in Burgos. León Picardo is believed to have undertaken the painting of the interior of the church. He worked continually with Bigarny. The piece is now in the Church of San Lesmes ( Saint Aleaunie) in Burgos. It consists of statue of Saint Bartholomew, a series of painted panels and a Plateresque architectural assemblage. * Entrance and main altarpiece of the Church of Saint Thomas in
Haro, La Rioja Haro () is a town and municipality in the northwest of La Rioja province in Northern Spain. It hosts the annual Haro Wine Festival, as it produces red wine. Its architectural heritage includes the plateresque main entrance of the Church of Sant ...
(1516–1519). Both of these were built in cooperation with
Íñigo Fernández de Velasco Inigo is a masculine given name deriving from the Castilian rendering (Íñigo) of the medieval Basque name Eneko. Ultimately, the name means "my little (man)". While mostly seen among the Iberian diaspora, it also gained a limited popularity ...
. The altarpiece was destroyed by the collapse of part of the building during construction. * Tomb of Cardinal Juan Selvagio, Zaragoza (1519), in collaboration with Alonso Berruguete. * Main altarpiece of the
Royal Chapel of Granada The Royal Chapel of Granada () is an Isabelline style building in Granada, Spain. Constructed between 1505 and 1517, it was originally integrated in the complex of the neighbouring Granada Cathedral. It is the burial place of the Spanish monarchs ...
, constructed in honor of the
Catholic Monarchs The Catholic Monarchs were Isabella I of Castile, Queen Isabella I of Crown of Castile, Castile () and Ferdinand II of Aragon, King Ferdinand II of Crown of Aragón, Aragon (), whose marriage and joint rule marked the ''de facto'' unification of ...
Ferdinand and Isabella. He was involved in this work in 1521 and although he was not the primary designer, he played a fundamental role in the design of the assemblage, on which Alonso Berruguete and Jacopo Torni also worked. * Altarpiece of the Descent or of the Pilar in the Cathedral of Toledo (1520–1527). * Part of the choir stalls of the Cathedral of Toledo (1539–1542). * Sculptures for the palace of
Peñaranda de Duero Peñaranda de Duero is a village and ''municipio'' located in the province of Burgos, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census ( INE), the municipality has a population of 583 inhabitants. The village is conserved as a '' conjunto ...
.


Attributions for which there are doubts

Although Bigarny has been traditionally attributed the decoration of the Monastery of Nuestra Señora de la Piedad in
Casalarreina Casalarreina is a town located in the Provinces of Spain, province of La Rioja (autonomous community), La Rioja, Spain. It is located from Logroño, the capital of La Rioja, in the north-west. The first documents about the village were around 117 ...
and it is known that he resided in Casalarreina in 1519 there is no documentary evidence that he or his carver Matías worked on that church.
José Martí y Monsó José Martí y Monsó (4 January 1840, Valencia - 14 December 1912, Valladolid) was a Spanish painter, art professor, researcher and museum official. He was considered an expert on Castile (historical region), Castilian art and the history of H ...
in a study on the art and architecture of Haro and Casalarreina argued against the likelihood of Bigarny or his studio having worked on the monastery, and present-day specialists generally agree with that verdict.


Architecture

Although primarily a sculptor, Bigarny was also an architect; he did not meet with comparable success gaining commissions in that field. It is believed that he submitted designs for the crossing lantern () of the
Cathedral of Burgos The Cathedral of Saint Mary of Burgos () is a Catholic church dedicated to the Virgin Mary located in the historical center of the Spain, Spanish city of Burgos. Its official name is the Holy Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica Church of St Mary of ...
and the Arch of Santa María, also in Burgos. He proposed a design for the tower of the Church of the Assumption of Our Lady in
Santa María del Campo Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Christma ...
, but it was not the one selected.


Notes


References

*
Enciclopedia GER - Felipe Bigarny
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bigarny, Felipe Spanish sculptors Spanish male sculptors Spanish architects French Renaissance sculptors 1470s births 1542 deaths People from Langres