Collection of altarpieces in the Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist Church (Bilbao)

Altarpiece of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Church: Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist Church (Bilbao)
Location: Chapel of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Patron: donations from private persons and from institutions
Chronology: 18th century (1749)
Style: Baroque

The Jesuits promoted the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus – the protagonist of this altarpiece

Interactive altarpiece: click on the pictures to get more information.

Iglesia:

The Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist church is located in the historic centre (Casco Viejo) of Bilbao, in the street “Calle de la Cruz”. It was founded by the jesuits in 1617 as a church for the Saint Andrews college, which was located outside of the city wall, in a place which had not been part of the seven original streets of Bilbao.

As it is common for the jesuit churches, its ground plan forms a rectangle with chapels on both sides of the central nave.

Today, the cloister and the premises of the college are used by the Euskal Museoa – the Basque Museum.

Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist Church (Bilbao)

Patronage:

The Sacred Heart is a way of devotion proper to the catholicism to venerate the Heart of Jesus as symbol of the Love of God to the humanity.

Its origin is very old; it was mentioned by the medieval tradition. However, the Jesuits spread this devotion around the world from 1673 onwards.

Description:

This single-piece altarpiece, made of gilded wood, is located in the Chapel of the Sacred Heart, next to the entrance to the church, in the epistle nave, on the right as you look towards the high altar. The piece is divided into a lower section or bench, where the altar table and tabernacle are located; a central section, with a large radial circle in the centre of which stands the Sacred Heart; and a semicircular attic. The decoration is characterised above all by the presence of mirrors that reflect the light and give the altarpiece a monumental appearance, as well as by its soft and refined forms, typical of the rococo style: plant motifs, heads of cherubs or putti and polychrome decoration based on latticework. The door of the tabernacle, with its representation of the Holy Trinity, is also noteworthy.

Altarpiece of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Bilbao)

History:

In 1749, the director of the Jesuits Saint Andrews college (today Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist church) ordered this altarpiece.

It was paid with donations from private persons and from institutions, in particular the council of Bilbao.

Sculptures:

Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The Love of God to the humans depicted in a symbolic way: A heart pierced with a crown of thorns – the heart of Jesus Christ from which flames and golden rays radiate. It is a sign of the divine Love.