The sculptural ensemble of Saint Joseph and the Virgin Mary with Baby Jesus is known as Bethlehem, The Nativity Scene or The Birth of Christ, since it depicts the moment after the birth of Jesus, an event which is succinctly described in the gospels of Saint Luke and Saint Matthew. [1]
Although there have been pictorial representations of the birth of Christ since the dawn of Christianity, the sculptural custom of reproducing the birth of Jesus to celebrate Christmas was introduced by Saint Francis of Assisi during the 14th Century in Italy. The first representation was a "living sculpture" because the saint, in order to celebrate Christmas Eve in Greccio, placed an image of the Christ Child between a real ox and a mule. Preference for this novelty quickly spread throughout Italy, and then spread to the rest of Europe, becoming a tradition. Over time, the scene evolved and real people were replaced with sculptural figures. In New Spain, apparently, this practice was encouraged by Franciscan missionaries and by the 18th Century, both in the Old and in the New World, usage went from an exclusive worship practice in churches to a more generalized one when believers started placing them in their homes; a fact that encouraged its commercialization. Thus, due to the reduced dimensions, one might think this ensemble was manufactured for use in the oratory of a private home.
The type of New Spain Nativity Scenes originate from the establishment during the Council of Trent; the Jesuit Molano specified that the Virgin must be represented on her knees in worship during childbirth before the Baby Jesus, according to the vision of Saint Bridget. The vice-royal iconography follows the same guidelines as in Europe, where "the exemption of the Virgin from Original Sin and, therefore, the pain of giving birth" is featured.[2] Thus, since the Late Middle Ages the birth of Jesus has become a worship. [3]
Although the figure of Baby Jesus is not an original piece from this ensemble, but rather appears to have been added, it can be guaranteed with great certainty that Saint Joseph and the Virgin Mary are indeed a group that share the same origin. Both sculptures coincide in size and in the estofado pattern, which are the most significant details in the work carried out by the polychromator in the upper part of their garments where the original pattern can easily be seen thanks to the punching that outlines the drawing. The estofado in the garments of the Virgin is in very good condition with very few missing pieces. The work is rich and detailed and the polychromator used different punching to obtain this result. The fabrics in the figure of Saint Joseph have been interfered with recently.
The size and proportion of the decoration in the fabrics with respect to the human body correspond to those used during the 18th Century. Both images feature finishing touches made with a brush tip, which with the naked eye accentuate the small differences in the vegetal decoration; these might have been made in an attempt to renovate them to make them more commercially attractive , because one must that they were sold to a private collection.
The expression on both faces and the shape of the eyes are very similar; both have glass eyes. The face of the Virgin shows the separation of the mask whereby the eyes were placed. The way in which the hair of the specimens was crafted is very similar, having been worked with very thin gouges. At this point, it is worth noting the care and dedication used with respect to the hairstyle of the Mother of the Redeemer which also depicts a colored ribbon; a less common detail in this type of sculptures. In the Museo de El Carmen (Museum of El Carmen) there is a "nativity scene" that shares various characteristics with our example: it is similar in size, the hairstyle of the Virgin is also similar as is the working of the carving; this reaffirms the possibility that these pieces were highly commercialized and perhaps crafted by specialized workshops that, upon crafting many of them, their appearance became uniform.
The aspect where one can find major differences in the carving in our example is the working of the hands. The hands of the Virgin are better quality and more expressive; the hands of Saint Joseph could have been retouched because they appear to be damaged, or rather, they are not the original ones.
The Baby Jesus has a delicate carving, a well proportioned body and a sweet expression. Although it appears to be from a later date, it denotes the fine work done by the sculptor, which includes smooth creases in his baby morphology.
[1]. Luke 2, 4-7; Matthew 2, 6-7.
[2]. Schenone, 1998: 37.
[3]. Reau, 2000: 394.
Sources:
Reau, Louis, Iconografía del arte cristiano. (Iconography of Christian Art.) Iconografía de la Biblia, Nuevo Testamento(Iconography of the Bible, New Testament), book 1, vol. 2, Barcelona, Serbal, 2000.
Schenone, Hector H., Iconografía del arte colonial (Iconography of colonial art). Jesus Christ, Buenos Aires, Tarea Foundation, 1998.
