1 / 6
Live
Premium Novohispanic School. Mexico. 18th century.
Novohispanic School. Mexico. 18th century.
Lot no. 95
Description
Novohispanic School. Mexico. 18th century.
“True Portrait of the Miraculous Image of Jesus of Nazareth of Atotonilco”
Oil on canvas.
84 x 57 cm.
In a languid portrait very typical of popular Mexican Baroque, intensifying His suffering as He carries the cross, the author of this work depicts the well-known and beloved Nazarene of Atotonilco, as named in the inscription at the bottom of the canvas. The original image is located in the Sanctuary of Jesus of Nazareth in Atotonilco, Guanajuato, Mexico, near San Miguel de Allende.
This Sanctuary is famous for its murals, which have earned it the name “the Mexican Sistine Chapel.” Its interior is entirely covered with frescoes illustrating the Passion of Christ, created mainly by Antonio Martínez de Pocasangre, who was inspired by engravings by the Wierix brothers that accompany Jerónimo Nadal’s Evangelicae Historiae Imagines, widely disseminated by the Society of Jesus.
The murals had a didactic-religious purpose—not only by being displayed on a grand scale but also by being filled with color, which was a complete innovation.
This Baroque temple was founded in 1740 by Father Luis Felipe Neri de Alfaro, inspired by the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The Sanctuary dedicated to Jesus of Nazareth ultimately became a house for the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola.
The Sanctuary of Atotonilco is also known for its role in the history of Mexican Independence, when Father Miguel Hidalgo took a banner bearing the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe to serve as the flag of the insurgent army at the start of the uprising.
The miraculous image of Jesus of Nazareth was placed on the main altar on July 20, 1740, made according to the indications of Father Alfaro, “based on the Nazarene he saw in a dream.” At first, he named it the Lord of the Aguascalientes, due to the meaning of the word Atotonilco.
The importance of this sanctuary was confirmed in 2008 when it was declared a World Cultural Heritage Site.
A devotional image, much loved, likely commissioned by a wealthy Mexican who had grown up with this sacred face and wished to hang it in his home to prolong its protection and shelter.
Pictures credits:
Contact organization
Delivery methods
You may also like