Focus on Saint Augustine Altarpiece (Huguet) and analyze the History.
The work on the altarpiece began on July 20, 1452 when the carpenter Macia Bonafé was given the contract to construct the retable. It was stipulated that the altarpiece was to rest on a stone base with doors on either side leading to the sacristy. Bonafé was also to create a figure of the Madonna, which was to rest in a niche, as well as the heraldic lions of the guild. On the same day Bonafé received his contract, the guildsmen engaged Luis Dalmau to begin working on painting as soon as the construction of the retable was finished. Dalmau ended up doing no actual work on the piece, for reasons unknown, and on December 4, 1463, the contract was given to Jaume Huguet.  For payment, Huguet received one hundred and ten lliures on February 1 and July 1 of 1464, and was thereafter to draw fifty six lliures every Christmas until the full amount had been paid.The whole arrangement was very businesslike with very clear instructions on how Huguet was to proceed. He was first to paint the four panels of the predella with scenes from the Passion as conceived in a sketch that he had presented to the guild, and this portion was to be completed by Christmas, 1466. Huguet was also tasked with painting the figures of saints on the sacristy doors, coloring the statues, and painting the heraldic lions. Before he was allowed to begin any painting, he had to present drawings for the approval of the guild and two painters, one chosen by the guild and the other chosen by Huguet. With the expectation that much of the work would be done by assistants, as it was a very large undertaking, it was specified that Huguet himself would be responsible for painting the heads and hands.It is not until November 29, 1486 that the altarpiece is spoken of as being completed, twenty three years after Huguet was originally commissioned. The documents also show that Huguet was not paid as originally promised and did not receive his full sum until 1488, when he was still owed 200 lliures. The reasons for the delay are unknown, but there a couple conjectures as to what happened. One is that the Constable Dom Pedro arrived six weeks after the contract was drawn up and engaged Huguet to paint him a retable, which would have taken precedence over that of the guild. It could also be that the guild lost interest or had a lack of finances that temporarily halted the project.
retable niche Luis Dalmau sacristy Jaume Huguet altarpiece predella