ABSTRACT
The altarpiece of the Seville Cathedral was built between 1481 and 1565 and depicts the life of Jesus Christ on carved wood decorated with gold leaf and polychromy. The huge scale of the work, which has a total perimeter of 20.10 m and 23.41 m height, makes this altarpiece the largest in the world (Fig. 1a). Several artists were involved in the execution of the altarpiece, such as Pyeter Dancart, Pedro Millán and Maestre Marco, as well as others of unknown identity. However, most of the altarpiece work seems to have been performed by Jorge and Alejo Fernández Alemán. Before the restoration intervention in 1977, serious concerns emerged about the structural condition of the altarpiece, including wood parts in danger of collapse, as well as accumulation of dust on the surface, flaking and lack of adherence of the polychromy and gilding. This restoration intervention was centered on ensuring its structural stability and comprised the consolidation of wood structures and polychromy, as well as the attenuation of losses of different materials.
