Santos in Oaxaca's Ancient ChurchesA study of santos in 16th-century and other churches in Oaxaca, Mexico
By Claire and Richard Stracke Funded by a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation. In San Juan Teitipac: Christ
carrying the Cross |
Christ Seated in the
Pretorium ("Pensive Christ") |
Christ Seated in the Pretorium
("Pensive Christ"):
The left hand has lost its index finger and the tip of the pinkie. The paint has flaked away from the heel and half the arch of the left foot. The fingers of the right hand are fused, as are the middle fingers of the left. The underlining of the eyes is red. The work suggests a village artist. Local Name: Sr. Lopez gave us the
name San
Paciencia. Basis for Identification: Seated,
cheek on hand, in white cotton trousers ending in simple
hems. Unlike others of this type, but similar to the other Teitipac San
Paciencia, the figure has a dun cape and a red rag
on the head (no crown of thorns, no halo). Blood streams
from the forehead onto the face. A white lasso hangs
from the neck to the knees, tied in a knot at the
breastbone. The left hand curls as if to hold a sceptre. Site: Church of San
Juan Teitipac. Location: On a small stand of rough wood along the south wall of the nave (see note). Media and construction: Wood, gesso, paint, fabric clothing. Eyes: painted. Hair: sculpted hair. Size: About 2 feet (60 cm.) Comparable santos in Oaxaca: Ejutla, Etla, Guelavia, Tamazulapan, Teitipac2, Teposcolula, Tilantongo, Tlacolula, Yanhuitlán. External Links: Next: Two statues of Our Lady
of the Rosary Introduction to San Juan Teitipac 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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