The panel, dated between 1419 and 1421, was part of the predella of the altarpiece of Saint Lawrence, Saint Hippolytus, and Saint Thomas Aquinas from the chapel of Sant Llorenç in Barcelona Cathedral. This acquisition, made at the auction house Art Curial in Paris, holds significant heritage value as it contributes to the reconstruction of one of the most important ensembles of Catalan Gothic painting.
The artwork, a tempera and gold leaf painting on wood measuring 62.5 × 53 centimeters, depicts one of the torments suffered by Saint Lawrence. Its quality, iconography, and stylistic elements have confirmed its link to the documented altarpiece of Barcelona Cathedral, an identification further supported by 19th-century drawings by Josep Puiggarí.
The incorporation of this piece into public collections helps preserve and enrich Catalan artistic heritage, recovering a significant work by Lluís Borrassà (Girona, c. 1360 - Barcelona, 1424/1425), a key figure in introducing the international Gothic style to Catalonia.
The panel will be added to the collection of Borrassà's works at the MNAC, enhancing the understanding of one of medieval Barcelona's most important altarpieces. Previously, only five narrative panels from this altarpiece were known, spread across private collections and institutions such as the MNAC, the Museo Nacional del Prado, and the Museo Franz Mayer in Mexico City.
The purchase is part of the Culture Department's acquisition policy, which promotes the incorporation of works of special artistic, historical, and cultural interest into the National Collection through the National Fund for the Acquisition of Cultural Assets.
