El Cielo de Salamanca
Artist: Attributed to Fernando Gallego (Salamanca, 1440-1507)
Date of Completion: 1486. Medium: Plaster and Pigment Paint.
Original Location: Old Library of the University of Salamanca
Library dimensions: 22 x 8.35 m (exact dimensions of ceiling could not be found)
Originally painted on the vaulted ceiling of the old university library, Fernando Gallego’s attributed masterpiece, El Cielo de Salamanca, represents one of the University of Salamanca’s most treasured works of art. After hundreds of years of neglect, the plaster mural underwent a serious period of restoration in the 1950s and has since been opened for public viewing inside the University Museum in Salamanca, Spain (García 23). Now, over 500 years after the painting’s completion in 1486, El Cielo de Salamanca stands out as an important reminder of astronomy’s foundational role, both as an impetus for liberal education and as a powerful symbol of academic enlightenment.
Perhaps the most striking characteristic of El Cielo de Salamanca is its sheer size, coupled with its exacting detail and charm.The remaining half dome of the mural, which originally decorated the entire vaulted ceiling of the university’s 22 x 8.35 m library, possesses a certain, revelatory quality. Depicting a collage of constellations interspersed amidst a flurry of golden stars, the masterpiece seems to soar over its viewers into the celestial abyss. The painting’s pagan, astrological portraits, which include references to zodiac symbols - i.e. a scorpion for Scorpio, a lion for Leo, and a centaur for Sagittarius - enhance the fantastical qualities of the painting and add to its playful air (Avilés 41-44). Within the scene, the figures move and interact with one another, filling the visual space of the painting with dynamic energy. The golden stars, which form the skeletons of the constellations and accent the background of the mural itself, unite the chaos of scene with vivid color and delicate beauty. Altogether, El Cielo de Salamanca employs an array of playful characters in order to mimic the mesmerizing beauty of the heavens and instill lasting awe and admiration in its viewers.
Within Gallego’s El Cielo de Salamanca, pointed Christian references intermingle with the pagan iconology of the painting and, in turn, underscore the moralistic significance of the painting. Such references, which reflect the dominant religious beliefs of 15th century Spain, stand as physical reminders of the interplay between religious thought and education in the late 1400s. Specifically, bordering the perimeter of the dome is an incomplete Latin inscription of Psalm VIII. The iconic Christian psalm, in its entirety, loosely reads: “That is, that the scientific contemplation of the heavens should not make forget that the marvels which can be seen in it cannot come but from God’s power” (Avilés 39). Traditionally, Psalm VII was recited by scholars and students as part of a request for deliverance in times of academic disarray (Frías 31). In the context of the painting, the use of Psalm VIII enhances El Cielo de Salamanca’s message of jointly linked religious and scholarly inspiration. As students worked in the library, the painting’s celestial images were meant to provide the aspiring academics with personal encouragement and relief. Likewise, the interwoven religious inscription served to remind students of their own pursuit of perfection, as paralleled by the perfection of the heavenly marvels created by “God’s power” (Avilés 39).
The academic significance of El Cielo de Salamanca can be further explained by the evolution of the field of astronomy within the University of Salamanca. During the Late Middle Ages, astronomy gradually asserted itself as a well-respected and foundational field of study. Specifically, in the context of biblical and humanist tradition, the field of astronomy earned a reputation as a vital stepping stone towards liberal education. As Frías alludes in his history of El Cielo de Salamanca, academic perfection could be achieved through the study of the heavens, wherein which the sky served as a “grandiose written page, able to be read and interpreted by man [in order to] acquire a similar perfection to the one being observed” (Frías 32). Similarly, the ancient Greek physician and scholar Hippocrates argued that “A doctorate without astrology is an eye that cannot see” (Frías 27).
The University of Salamanca, catching onto such trends, quickly established itself as a national center of astronomical thought. According to documents preserved by the university, the first chair of astronomy in Spain was established by the University of Salamanca in 1460, roughly 20 years before the commission of El Cielo de Salamanca (Chabas 30). With the growing popularity of astronomy came changes in the university’s overall approach to the education of its students. By late 15th century, the University of Salamanca consisted of four primary faculties: Arts, Law, Medicine, and Theology. The faculty of the arts served as a window to the three “higher level” disciplines and, as such, possessed a pivotal role in the education of university students (Chabas 29). In particular, scholars, professors, and students alike recognized the significance of astronomy as an aid to the arts and to one’s liberal education as a whole. Rather than being seen as a discipline in itself, astronomy was regarded as a tool that could help unlock higher level education (Chabas 29).
El Cielo de Salamanca serves as proof of the study of astronomy’s overwhelming academic significance. Through his masterpiece, Fernando Gallego makes a resounding statement about astronomy’s role in education, both as source of personal inspiration and as a representation of the pursuit of education as a whole. As the focal point of the University of Salamanca’s original library, the mural captures astronomy’s reputation as a foundational element of liberal education. Furthermore, by highlighting the sheer wonder of the heavens as a symbol of the study of astrology, Gallego alludes to the boundless potential of education. Today, El Cielo de Salamanca continues to serve as an important reminder of our modern pursuit of education. Just like the heavens, our education possesses limitless possibilities.
Works Cited
Avilés, Alejandro García. “Arte y Astrología en Salamanca a Finales del Siglo XV.” Anuario del Departamento de Historia y Teoría del Arte, Universidad de Murcia. Vol. VI (1994): 39-59. Web. 5 April 2016.
Bezares, Luis E. Rodriguez-San Pedro. The University of Salamanca from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. Spain: Ediciones Universidad Salamanca, 2013. Web. U. 5 April 2016.
Chabas, Jose.“The University of Salamanca and the Renaissance of Astronomy During the Second Half of the 15th Century.” Universities and Science in the Early Modern Period. Ed. Mordechai Feingold and Victor Navarro-Brotons. The Netherlands: Springer, 2006. 29–35. Web. U. 5 April 2016.
García, M.A., M. Gómez, D. Juanes and C. Vega. “The Sky of Salamanca. An Example of Experimental Methodology Applied to a Singular Work of Art.” Selected Papers from the Symposium on Archeological and Arts Issues in Material Science. Ed. José Luis Ruvalcaba Sil, Javier Reyes Trujeque, Jesús A. Arenas Alatorre, and Adrián Velázquez Castro. Mexico: Sociedad Mexicana de Materiales A.C., 2010. 23-28. Web. U. 5 April 2016.
Frías, José María Martínez. El Cielo de Salamanca: La Bóveda de la Antigua Biblioteca de Universitaria. Spain: Ediciones Universidad Salamanca, 2006. Print.
All photos taken by Jonathan Gilmour