Christ at the Pillar
Wood, gesso, paint; glass eyes, sculpted hair. Approximately 3 feet tall (91 cm.)
Huitzo, Oaxaca, Mexico
In John 19:1-3 Pilate has his soldiers scourge Jesus. They also put him in a purple garment (Latin vestis) to mock his alleged claim to be a king. Most images of the scourging assume that when he was scourged he was tied to a column, although that is not in the gospel text. This one has a column only half as tall as the figure, as is common in sculptural treatments of the scourging.
The Latin vestis can indicate any kind of garment, but most Mexican and continental images picture a loincloth, which in this instance is more red than purple. The body has only a few traces of blood, unlike other Mexican santos related to the Passion.
The statue is in good condition, though there are chips where the neck meets the shoulders. It thus appears to have been part of a well planned narrative. In contrast to the Coixtlahuaca
example, the figure expresses not so much agony as a weary, patient humility as the wrists rest heavily on the pillar. The head has a delicate look and seems a bit small for the body, which is well-muscled and sturdy. Judging from the thickness of the statue at the hips and thighs, we believs an older, polychrome loincloth lies beneath the purple velvet.
Read more about the scourging of Christ.
Photographed at the church by Claire and Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.