The painting of the XVIII century ‘El Tránsito’ is renovated and illuminated

FMHOY - Fuerteventura

The president of Fuerteventura’s Cabildo, Sergio Lloret, and the reverend, don Eloy Santiago, representing the Diocese of the Canaries, animated the presentation of the electricity renovations carried out in the chapel of “San Pedro Alcántara” in Ampuyenta, as well as the renovation of the chapel’s painting called “El Tránsito”. The renovation work was organised thanks to the cooperation agreement between the Diocese of the Canaries and the island’s Cabildo, regarding the financing of the project.

Made-to-measure illumination for a chapel that “looks like an art gallery”

The industrial technician, Aldorac Camino, creator of the project for the new electric installation that lights up the Chapel and director of the project, participated in the presentation, sharing the specific peculiarities of that building when it came to illuminating it.

It is a space where the walls are totally covered with paintings, and “looks like an art gallery”. This became one of the bases for the creation of the chapel’s illumination project, thinking of French and Italian references.

There are two separate visual and illuminated spaces. The work carried out in the Chapel’s altar was done so that the structures used for the illumination cannot be seen. On the other hand, in the nave, the illumination was set up on rails, with very little visual impact and with the option to modify the light according to the requirements.

“El Tránsito”, history on oil of Fuerteventura in the XVIII century

During the event, the restorer and curator of cultural objects, Chus Morante, gave explanations regarding the project of preservation and restoration carried out on the painting of “El Tránsito”, the first of four paintings that will be renovated within the agreement between the Cabildo and the Diocese.

This XVIII century painting has similarities with the paintings of “the ánimas”, which are so important in Fuerteventura”, explained the curator, adding that the painting represents the mourning of the first priest and administrator of the church, Manuel Benítez, further to his death, which according to records, was due to his drowning in the Barranco of Río Cabras.

Mrs Morante indicated that the painting was qualified by the writer from the island, who lives in Caracas, Manuel Barroso Alfaro, in his book on the pictorial work of the chapel, as “one of the paintings with historic memory” of the Chapel, as this is a kind of portrait created by unknown authors, honouring the death of a well-known person at the time.

The passing of time and woodworm destroyed and blurred most of the painting, especially on the inferior and superior extremities, which is the reason why it was decided to restore it to its original aspect.

The other three paintings to be renovated However, the preservation and restoration work of the Chapel’s paintings doesn’t stop with “El Tránsito”. Within the cooperation agreement between the diocese of the Canaries and the Island’s Cabildo, the large painting called “Encuentro Místico” is currently being renovated. Then, the paintings called “Fundación de un convento” and “Construcción de un refugio” will soon start being restored too.