3-098-328 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Christ crucified, c1660-c1670. One of the most interesting examples of devotional image painting, a kind of trompe-l'oeil of the divine, whose function was to substitute, in the eyes of the faithful devotee, the pious and famous sculpture with its "true likeness," with such imitative effectiveness that one might think one was physically standing before it. We do not know which specific effigy is represented in this canvas, which reproduces a veritable shrine, with its richly decorated architecture, and a background of simulated architectural space. The figure is adorned with a crown of roses, as was common practice with devotional figures, and instead of the usual loincloth, it wears a rich embroidered skirt that covers a good part of the legs. In the foreground, cherubs play with the symbols of the Passion (a gigantic nail, a tibia, and a skull), while others, flying, draw back the curtains that, like a canopy, enclose the niche.