Painting on the ceiling of the 2nd lateral hall
Alhambra, 14th Century

A larger image of this painting on the ceiling of the 2nd lateral hall, Alhambra, Spain, 14th Century
A rotated view of the upper scenes of this painting on the ceiling of the 2nd lateral hall, Alhambra

Photo by KP FM

Reconstruction drawing of a ceiling painting from a lateral room in the Alhambra by Owen Jones and Jules Goury
Painting on the ceiling of a lateral hall, Alhambra, Spain, 14th Century

Click on a figure to see a larger, coloured image.

The paintings on the east side vaults of the Hall of the Kings represent sequentially the scenes of a medieval story in which some knights, clearly distinguishable by their Muslim and Christian robes, perform different tasks perhaps to obtain the favour of a lady in a feudal scenario. The story may be said to start in the northern alcove, be independent or continue and end in the room. Here the scenes represent a chess game being played in a castle, after which the Christian knights, one on foot and the other on a horse, trounce a lion and a bear; on the other side of the castle a Muslim rider spears a large quadriped. From the main tower of a large castle in the upper background, a troubled lady watches a medieval joust taking place, in which the victor is obviously the Muslim nobleman whose spear unseats the Christian knight; on the left of the castle a mythological scene is depicted of the rescue of a lady from the grips of a savage beast. All the scenes take place in the middle of an extraordinary and exuberant natural environment, with birds and wild animals moving in an environment that is densely covered with plants and trees.

Genitor with white hood from a ceiling painting from a lateral room in the Alhambra, Spain, c.1360-1425
White Knight from a ceiling painting from a lateral room in the Alhambra, Spain, c.1360-1425
The Rescued Lady and the Ladies in the Tower from a ceiling painting from a lateral room in the Alhambra, Spain, c.1360-1425
Red Knight from a ceiling painting from a lateral room in the Alhambra, Spain, c.1360-1425
Red Genitor from a ceiling painting from a lateral room in the Alhambra, Spain, c.1360-1425
The Brown Rider with White Cape from a ceiling painting from a lateral room in the Alhambra, Spain, c.1360-1425
The chess game and the lion attacking a warrior on this painting on the ceiling of the 2nd lateral hall, Alhambra

Referenced as figures 187 and 188 in David Nicolle, "An introduction to arms and warfare in classical Islam", in: Islamic Arms and Armour, ed. Robert Elgood, London 1979

Painting on the ceiling of the 2nd lateral hall Alhambra, 14th Century

Painting on the ceiling of the 2nd lateral hall
Alhambra, 14th Century