Museum Quality 17th Century Holy Infant Santo Niño, Spanish Carved Wood Sculpture
Museum Quality Santo Niño, Holy Infant. Origin: Spain or Netherlands (from the period the Netherlands and Spain were under the same crown). Total Size: 36cm tall by 13cm wide, see last picture for proportion next to an average size wine bottle. Notes: This is an important and truly outstanding and early Holy Infant sculpture in the manner of Luisa Roldán (La Roldana). It’s carved wood, applied gesso and polychrome painted, with blue glass eyes the rarest type for Catholic religious sculptures. The movement and detail are just superb. The base is later, most likely late 18th century, marbleised and gilt wood a solid block rather than a hollow cube. Condition: there’s wear consistent with age, the surface has been stabilised by a professional conservator, so there’s no risk of crackling or paint loss. As court sculptor and the first woman sculptor recorded in Spain, Luisa Roldán reached the top of her profession. Her father was a sculptor in Seville, and Luisa and her siblings worked in the family workshop. At nineteen, she married a sculptor from the shop and became her family’s primary source of income, working independently with her husband as polychromist. Roldán’s figures are characterized by clearly delineated profiles, thick locks of hair, billowing draperies, and mystical faces with delicate eyes, knitting brows, rosy cheeks, and slightly parted lips. From 1686 to 1688 Roldán was in Cádiz, carving wooden sculptures for the cathedral and working on statues for the town council. In 1688 she moved to Madrid to petition for the court sculptor’s post, which was granted to her in 1692 and which she retained until her death. Among her creations was a wood St. Michael, which her son may have polychromed, as well as many small polychrome terracotta groups that she called jewels. These were her most distinctive works, and probably unique at the time because groups were made to be appreciated for themselves and did not exist apart from architectural decoration. With their bits of still life, flowers, and animals, they prefigured Rococo porcelain groups. The item “Museum Quality 17th Century Holy Infant Santo Niño, Spanish Carved Wood Sculpture” is in sale since Friday, May 18, 2018. This item is in the category “Collectables\Religion & Spirituality\Christianity\Statues & Figures”. The seller is “sacred-arts” and is located in Mazamet. This item can be shipped worldwide.
- Country/Region of Manufacture: Spain
- Subject: Jesus
- Item: Statues
- Religion/ Spirituality: Christianity
- Type: Santo Niño