Saint Juan Nepomuceno, patron saint of confessors, is presented in this piece dressed in canon, cassock, surplice, hood, and devoid of symbols, although for the arrangement of the hands he must have been holding them originally. With a serene, calm and self-centered expression, it shows a balance of proportions and volumes. He stands in counter-pose, without intention of movement, without transmitting a sense of stiffness thanks to the "S" shape of the body, which begins with the head tilted to the right, following along the torso, which takes up the movement to be continued in the legs. The disposition of the cloth is not realistic, it is rather idealized, thereby strengthening the ornamental character of the sculpture. The balance is complemented by the position of the arms, the right raised and the left slightly extended. The gaze of the character is directed downward, as if meditating, without with the onlooker. The object for meditation probably would have been a crucifix, the most common attribute with which it is usually represented in this canon from Prague.
The long and thin head, also highlights the long, sharp nose; it also has high cheekbones and oval eyes, with the irises painted brown and well nuanced. The small beard is carved, while the transition between it and the skin around the mouth is pelleted. The mouth is medium sized, closed and with the lower lip more pronounced than the upper, contributing to the serene expression of the face. The hair on the head has almost no volume, the locks on both sides of the center line are simply incisions; they leave free a small lock at the back and ending up at the neck, in a row of small ripples. The hair is so tight to the head that it suggests the personage is wearing a mortarboard, also as part of its iconography. There can still be perceived the hole for the halo usually worn The somewhat long ears are completely free of locks; they are separated from the head more than normal, with hair bulging behind them. This effect is only seen up close; from a distance the anatomy is appears correct.
The body of the saint is insinuated under the clothing: arms under the hood and the leg bent under the surplice and cassock, leaving free the tips of the shoes. The circular base corresponds to the exact diameter of the sculpture, ending with the folds of the robes almost on its edge. The flow of the thick and cornered folds of the clothing, especially the surplice, corresponds to the ornamental treatment of the sculpture and gives weight to the center of the body, while the movement flows into the lower part of the cassock. Although the main view is frontal, the semi-lateral aspects offer different perspectives of the play on volumes, and the open and closed forms. The side and back views, however, even though they are fully worked, denote the process of carving, since cassock still reflects the shape of the block. In the rear, the base is no longer circular, but squared. We can deduce that the sculpture was located in an altarpiece, offering the viewer a less than 180 degree view.
The polychrome of the sculpture is very modified: the back is completely repainted and in some areas of the hood a varnish was applied. The base of the estofado (gilding) is regular sgraffito; on the cassock, in addition to golden vegetable ornaments that were punched and brush stroked to apply enhancement, the hood features black spots appearing as ermine that were made with a brush tip. The zigzag trace of the sgraffito on the surplice causes a sensation of wobbliness and thinness of the fabric. The borders of all of the garments are adorned with gold contrast based in circular punches of different sizes that form triangles, imitating lace.
This work is an example of a sculpture made for an altarpiece, probably around 1700, which by virtue of its folds, base and polychrome seems to have formed part of the altarpiece the sculpture of San Antonio de Padua belonging to this same collection.
Saint Juan Nepomuceno, patron saint of confessors, is presented in this piece dressed in canon, cassock, surplice, hood, and devoid of symbols, although for the arrangement of the hands he must have been holding them originally. With a serene, calm and self-centered expression, it shows a balance of proportions and volumes. He stands in counter-pose, without intention of movement, without transmitting a sense of stiffness thanks to the "S" shape of the body, which begins with the head tilted to the right, following along the torso, which takes up the movement to be continued in the legs. The disposition of the cloth is not realistic, it is rather idealized, thereby strengthening the ornamental character of the sculpture. The balance is complemented by the position of the arms, the right raised and the left slightly extended. The gaze of the character is directed downward, as if meditating, without with the onlooker. The object for meditation probably would have been a crucifix, the most common attribute with which it is usually represented in this canon from Prague.
