Bidspirit auction | Attributable Juan de Mesa y

Attributable Juan de Mesa y Velasco (Córdoba, June 26, 1583 - Seville, November 26, 1627) - Beautiful and large carving of Saint John the Baptist in polychrome wood in its original color and polychrome. 50 x 25 x 25 cm. Requires minor intervention in polychrome breaks, the lamb is missing from the set. After the Conquest of America and with the expansion of the Church in the Mexica territory, the need arose for devotional images, which in addition to decorating the newly built temples and convents would reach the native population in a humanizing way, as a means of transmitting Evangelization. During the first phases of the Conquest, it was the friars in the first years of colonial life, since through their schools of arts and crafts they taught the needy the techniques of polychrome and stewed sculpture. Some time later, master sculptors arrived in New Spain, these worked following European canons for the manufacture of sculptures. The estofado technique was introduced from Spain in the 16th century, a technique used in the tunics and mantles of devotional images, usually with plant or animal motifs. The carvings found during the early period of the Conquest—the 16th and early 17th centuries—depict bodies with few details, hieratic attitudes, and almost straight, motionless bodies and draperies. Over time, the lines became more harmonious, and the body positions of the figures and the draperies acquired greater movement. The Viceroy issued ordinances to regulate the work and ensure the proper functioning of the artisans practicing this craft. From the early stages of the Conquest, the influence of European Mannerist masters, such as Gregorio Fernández, Juan de Mesa, and Juan Martínez Montañés, was prominent. The first friars and master sculptors drew upon these influences when replicating the models from Seville that arrived in the New World in the form of engravings. Reference bibliography: Overview of Viceregal Sculpture (1600-1670): Relations with Seville and Mexico. Artistic and Historical Profile of the Mexican Sculptor Juan García Salguero. Rafael Ramos Sosa (2011). Provenance: Former French private collection.