In this representation, we see Christ during the ion, still alive and suffering martyrdom on the cross, as described in the Gospels. It is important to point out that in the Sacred Scriptures no details are provided about the physiognomic characteristics of the Redeemer or his crucifixion. However, as mentioned by Leonor Labastida, "the subsequent creation of a physical image of Christ and his appearance on the cross is based on anthropological deductions, historical facts, late images of divine attribution, literature and supposed sacred visions". [1]
For this representation, the artists have turned to other literary sources such as the texts of Pseudo Buenaventura and the mystical visions of Santa Brigida. Some iconographic elements have been incorporated into the different artistic traditions creating specific models on this subject.
In this image of Christ the Savior, he is held to the cross by three nails [2] in the shape of diamonds. The right foot is over the left foot pierced with a single nail, following the pattern that triumphed in Europe from the thirteenth century and was used in most of the colonial crucifixions. [3] The body has a symmetrical posture with the waist slightly flexed to the right. The legs are together with the knees bent slightly forward. The head is tilted to its right side with the muscles of the neck tensed. This position of the body gives the sculpture movement and weight against the inclination of the head, allowing some lightness to the ensemble.
In the sculptural work, we note an interest in representing the torture of Christ following aesthetic criteria. That is, in addition to being a devotional piece, the carving is made according to certain aesthetic canons in its composition, proportion, volume and expressiveness. Likewise, the degree and technical progress of the sculptor are recognized.
The ribs and sternum are marked on the thorax while the abdomen contracts. It does not have the wound on the right side, which indicates that Christ is represented at some time before his death, and during his agony. An intention to show anatomy and proportion in a "naturalistic" way is palpable. The muscles are marked in the neck, arms and legs. However, the forearms do not correspond to the proportion of the rest of the body. The hands are rough, the fingers are thick and lack natural flexibility. This indicates that the forearms and hands are not an original part of the figure, and were probably added in a later intervention.
The eyes are of glass, they are half open and they look forward. The nose is long and straight. The mouth is slightly open and shows part of the upper teeth and the tongue. The brow is contracted, the expression is of pain. The crucified man stares at the viewer and seems to be about to tell him something. The effectiveness of this type of religious images lies in the direct they make with the devotee, with the intention of provoking a state of constriction, pious meditation or comion. [4]
The hair, beard and mustache are dark and are worked with detail. The first is divided with a line at the center leaving the forehead clear. A wavy lock falls over his right shoulder. You can see part of his left ear and the curls that fall behind the head. This type of hair arrangement is recurrent in several Spanish representations with their peculiar variations in each sculpture. It has no crown of thorns, it was probably superimposed on the figure. Some drops of blood on the forehead can be taken as indications of the place where it was fitted.
The sendal is crisscrossed on the front and makes a diagonal to his right side where it is knotted and part of the linen falls behind the leg. The folds simulate the lightness of the textile.
This particular disposition of the Crucifixion corresponds to a model diffused in Spain, both in sculpture and in painting, mainly in the eighteenth century. Due to its stylistic characteristics, this carving could be dated at the end of the 18th century or the beginning of the following century. It is striking that an exaggeration in gestures is avoided, since it rather shows a simplicity in the forms and in the color. Likewise, the blood is barely perceptible, there are few drops in some parts of the face and body. He has no obvious wounds.
The cross seems to be of more recent manufacture, perhaps of the twentieth century. It is very possible that at some point the original was changed for this one. The cross is flat and the arms of the crossbar or patibulum, like the upper part of the stipes, end in a triangular shape. It lacks the INRI inscription.
The quality of work known as inlaid is noteworthy, a fine carpentry technique that comes from the Middle East and was introduced to Spain by the Arabs, and from the Iberian peninsula it was transferred to America. In Puebla, Queretaro and Michoacan, these works are still being produced. This technique is used mainly to make furniture and trunks, it consists of embedding small lamellae of different woods and other materials, such as bone, ivory, shell and tortoiseshell as a mosaic to form a geometric design.
This sculpture is of medium format; due to its dimensions it is inferred that it was in a chapel, perhaps in a domestic setting or for a restricted cult. Its state of conservation in general is good, the polychromy is complete. It has some scratches on the front of the chest that show the preparation layer. However, the color of the skin is too flat, it has no degradation or nuance. The eyebrows are painted carelessly in a dark brown color which makes us suppose that the polychrome was also intervened. It would be necessary to make a more detailed observation, as well as scientific analysis to assess the modifications that it has had throughout its history.
[1] Leonor Labastida Vargas, La imagen del crucificado en la Ciudad de
México durante el virreinato. Una tipología singular, México, Tesis:
(Maestra en Historia del Arte) FFyL, UNAM, 2008.
[2] Otro asunto es el de la fijación de los pies que dio lugar a larguísimas disquisiciones acerca si se hizo mediante uno o dos clavos. Molano, luego Pacheco y más tarde Interián de Ayala insisten en largas consideraciones que Jesús fue inmovilizado en la cruz mediante cuatro clavos y no con tres. Pacheco se apoya en la opinión de algunos de los Santos Padres, en las pinturas de los “griegos” y, también, en la de ciertos “modernos”, como Roberto Belarmino. Recuerda, además, las imágenes escultóricas cuya “venerable antigüedad” sería una prueba más de la veracidad de dicha iconografía. Interián sigue los mismos derroteros críticos y agrega que el uso de los clavos en cada uno de los pies se apoya en la experiencia y en las Escrituras, pues era imposible taladrar ambos pies con un solo clavo, sin romper los huesos y no sería verdad lo que nos dijo el Profeta: “no le quebrareis ningún hueso”. Héctor H. Schenone, Iconografía del arte colonial. Jesucristo,Buenos Aires, Fundación Tarea, 1998, p. 281.
[3] Schenone, op. cit., p. 282.
[4] Según Dionisio el Areopagita, el mundo de los sentidos refleja el mundo del espíritu. La contemplación del mundo de los sentidos sirve de medio para elevar al ser humano al mundo del espíritu. Freedberg, David, El poder de las imágenes. Estudios sobre la historia y la teoría de la respuesta, Cátedra, Madrid, 1992, pp. 198-199.
Sources:
Aguilera, Carmen, et al., El mueble mexicano: Historia, evolución e influencias, México, Fomento Cultural Banamex, 1985.
Camón Aznar, José, La Pasión de Cristo en el arte español, Madrid, Biblioteca de Autores Cristianos, 1949.
Catálogo Nacional de Escultura Novohispana, México, IIE, UNAM-INAH.
Labastida Vargas, Leonor, La imagen del crucificado en la Ciudad de México durante el virreinato. Una tipología singular, México, Tesis: (Maestra en Historia del Arte) FFyL, UNAM, 2008.
Maquivar, María del Consuelo, El imaginero novohispano y su obra, México, INAH, 1999.
Moreno Villa, José, La escultura mexicana, Fondo de Cultura Económica, 1986.
Robin Pare, Alena Lucia, Devoción y patrocinio : el Vía Crucis en Nueva España, México, Tesis: (Doctora en Historia del Arte) FFyL, UNAM, 2007.
Schenone, Héctor H., Iconografía del arte colonial. Jesucristo, Buenos Aires, Fundación Tarea, 1998.
