Great San Nicolás de Tolentino life-size, New Spanish colonial work inspired by the models of Juan de Mesa, New ...

Great San Nicolás de Tolentino life-size, New Spanish colonial work inspired by the models of Juan de Mesa, New Spain, last quarter of the 16th century
Wood carving with gilded base and preserving the original polychromy, gilt wood, stewed and sgraffito, small faults, total measurements with base: 168 x 73 x 63 cm, Saint Nicholas measurements: 140 x 73 x 63 cm. After the Conquest of America and with the expansion of the Church in the Mexica territory, the need arose to have devotional images, which, in addition to decorating the newly built temples and convents, would approach the native population in a humanizing way, as a means of transmission of 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 indigent the techniques of polychrome and stewed sculpture. Some time later, master sculptors arrived in New Spain, they worked following the European canons for the manufacture of sculptures. Since the 16th century, the stew technique was brought from Spain, a technique used in the tunics and cloaks of devotional images usually with plant or animal motifs. The carvings that we found during the first period of the Conquest -16th century and beginning of the 17th century - present bodies with few details, with hieratic attitudes and almost straight bodies and clothing, without movement. With the passage of time the lines become more harmonious, and the positions of the body of the characters and the cloth acquire more movement. The Viceroy issued ordinances to regulate the work and guarantee the proper functioning of the artisans who practiced this trade. From the early phases of the conquest, the influence of the European masters of Mannerism stood out, such as Gregorio Fernández, Juan de Mesa and Juan Martínez Montañés, from whom the first friars and master sculptors drew when replicating the models from Seville that they arrived in the New World in the form of engravings. Reference bibliography: Panorama of Viceregal sculpture (1600-1670): relations with Seville and Mexico. Artistic historical profile of the Mexican sculptor Juan García Salguero. Rafael Ramos Sosa (2011). Provenance: old French private collection. Reference bibliography: Panorama of Viceregal sculpture (1600-1670): relations with Seville and Mexico. Artistic historical profile of the Mexican sculptor Juan García Salguero. Rafael Ramos Sosa (2011). Provenance: old French private collection. Reference bibliography: Panorama of Viceregal sculpture (1600-1670): relations with Seville and Mexico. Artistic historical profile of the Mexican sculptor Juan García Salguero. Rafael Ramos Sosa (2011). Provenance: old French private collection.