Calvary Grouping
A doll-sized calvary group that includes Our Lady of
Sorrows, St. Mary Magadelene, and St. John the Evangelist.
Site: Church of San
Pablo Huitzo.
Location: Shelf on
the west wall of the narthex, south of the portal
(see note).
Crucifix:
The wood is very dark and does not have
much sheen. The wig obscures the face. The diadem is very
large and fan-shaped. The body under the gold lamé
loincloth is thick, which suggests that the white
loincloth beneath is carved or of polychrome.
The cross is made of thick dowels painted green and
capped in gold paint. The INRI sign is above the
vertical dowel. A doubled rope hangs in a loose noose
from Christ's neck and the ends are draped over the
hands of the crucifix. A string of tassles hangs from
the figure's left hand.
Local Name: El
Señor de la Misericordia.
Basis for Identification: White
and gold loincloth, gold-colored sun-burst diadem.
Media and construction: Wood,
metal diadem, fabric loincloth.
Hair: wig.
Size: About 10 inches (25 cm.)
Comparable santos in Oaxaca: Achiutla,
Santa Ana del
Valle1, Santa
Ana del Valle2, Santa Ana del
Valle3, Cuilapan,
Etla, Guelavia, Nochixtlán,
Tamazulapan1,
Tamazulapan2,
Teitipac1,
Teitipac2,
Teitipac3,
Teotitlán1,
Teotitlán2, Teposcolula1,
Teposcolula2,
Teposcolula3
(in Rosary case), Teposcolula
Convento1, Teposcolula
Convento2, Tilantongo1,
Tilantongo2,
Tlacolula,
Xoxocotlán1, Xoxocotlán2, Xoxocotlán3, Xoxocotlán4, Yanhuitlán1, Yanhuitlán2, Yanhuitlán
Convento1, Yanhuitlán
Convento2, Yanhuitlán
Convento3, Yanhuitlán
Convento4, Yanhuitlán
Convento5, Yanhuitlán Ayuxi Chapel, Zimatlán.
External Links:
Wikimedia Commons:
Crucifixes
in
Mexico
Catholic Encyclopedia: Archaeology
of the Cross and Crucifix
Wikipedia: Crucifix
Christian Iconography: The
Crucifixion
Our Lady of Sorrows:
The statue looks at Christ crucified; her
knees are buckling, her hands are joined in prayer. What
seems to be a red heart has been painted on her chest.
Local Name: La
Madre de los Dolores.
Basis for Identification: Wimple,
veil, blue and gold robe.
Media and construction: Wood,
gesso, paint.
Size: About 8 inches (20 cm.)
Comparable santos in Oaxaca: Achiutla,
Santa Ana del
Valle, Coixtlahuaca,
Cuilapan1,
Cuilapan2,
Ejutla, Mitla,
Nochixtlán,
Ocotlán, Díaz
Ordaz, Tamazulapan,
Teitipac,
Teotitlán, Teposcolula
(in Calvary group), Tlacolula,
Xoxocotlán, Yanhuitlán (?).
External Links:
Wikimedia Commons:
Mater
dolorosa
Wikipedia: Our
Lady of Sorrows
Christian Iconography: Mater
Dolorosa,
The Sorrowful Mother
St.
John the Evangelist:
The style of the statue matches that of the
Mary Magadalene. The young man stands straight, looking
up at the cross. The right hand is held at waist level,
palm inward and fingers splayed. The left hand is held
palm upward at hip level.
Local Name: San Juan Evangelista
Basis for Identification: Long,
thin figure of a young man. Brown hair in "Biblical"
style, moustache. Long green robe; red mantle.
Media and construction: Wood,
gesso, paint.
Size: About 10 inches (25 cm.)
Comparable santos in Oaxaca: Ejutla, Huitzo, Ocotlán,
Teotitlán,
Teposcolula,
Tlacolula.
External Links:
Wikimedia Commons:
Statues
of Saint John the Evangelist in Mexico
Catholic Encyclopedia: St.
John the Evangelist
Wikipedia: John
the Evangelist
Christian Iconography: Saint
John the Evangelist
St. Mary Magdalene:
The figure has long, smooth waves of
hair that fall down her back. She wears a simple robe
with elbow-length sleeves and full drapery. The robe is
edged and belted in gold. the mantle is caught at the
right shoulder and curves down her back to the left hip.
With knees bent, she leans against the cross. The
right hand is raised as thought to hold onto the cross.
The left hand is held palm upward at hip level. The pose
is graceful and stylized.
Local Name: La Santa Magdalena.
Basis for Identification: Unveiled
young woman with long blond hair.
Other characteristics: Gold-colored
robe, red stole.
Media and construction: Wood,
gesso, paint; 7"
Size: About 7 inches (18 cm.)
Comparable santos in Oaxaca: Achiutla,
Coixtlahuaca,
Ejutla, Huitzo,
Mitla (Calvary grouping), Ocotlán,
Tamazulapan,
Teotitlán,
Teposcolula.
External Links:
Wikimedia Commons: Statues
of
Mary Magdalene in Mexico
Catholic Encyclopedia: St.
Mary Magdalene
Wikipedia: Mary
Magdalene
Christian Iconography: St.
Mary Magdalene, Follower of Christ
Next: Going
in from the narthex, on the left we find a statue of the Trinity as
"Throne of Mercy."
Introduction to San Pablo Mitla
Santos Home Page
Note: On
this
site,
references to the cardinal directions always assume
that the main altar is at the east end of the church,
the narthex or entry area at the west end, and the two
walls
of the nave on the
north and south. (The
nave is the long central section.)
Actual orientations may differ.
The photo shown here is licensed under the
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
license. You are free to share or remix it on two
conditions: first, that you attribute it to the
photographers, Claire and Richard Stracke, without
implying any approval of your work on their part;
second, that if you alter, transform, or build upon
this photo, you may distribute the resulting work only
under the same or similar license to this one.
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