18th C. Brazilian Nicho Crucifixion Tableau & Saints

$8,995.00

In stock

South America, Brazil, probably Minas Gerais, ca. 18th century CE. A masterful gilt and painted wood oratory (nicho) that houses a moving ensemble of carved-stone devotional figures, arranged in a tableau of the Crucifixion. At the center, Christ is shown on the Cross, his body rendered with delicate anatomy, his visage marked with pain yet serenity. At his side stand two saints: the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception, symbol of purity and divine grace, and Saint Rita of Cascia, the Augustinian nun remembered as a patroness of impossible causes. Below, Saint Anne tenderly teaches her daughter, the young Virgin Mary, to read – a rare and intimate subject in Christian art that underscores themes of wisdom and maternal devotion. The figures are carved with remarkable refinement, displaying finely modeled faces, cascading garments, and expressive gestures, with traces of original polychrome enlivening their features. Size: 3.8″ L x 8.9″ W x 21.6″ H (9.7 cm x 22.6 cm x 52.3 cm)

Behind them, the interior is painted a celestial blue, adorned with floral blossoms and gilded rays radiating from the Cross, framed by painted clouds that evoke the heavens.

The exterior of the wooden oratory is no less impressive, with ornate flourishes of Rococo design painted in rich hues of blue, red, and black, accented with areas of gilding that still gleam with devotional splendor. This object likely originated in Minas Gerais, the heart of Brazil’s colonial baroque culture, where churches and private homes alike were adorned with such oratories, serving as focal points of personal and family devotion. An exceptional survival of colonial Brazilian religious art, this piece embodies both the grandeur of baroque aesthetics and the intimate piety of home worship.

Condition: Wooden oratory and Jesus’s left arm have been professionally repaired with break lines visible. Saint Rita of Cascia is missing right forearm. Nicks, chips, and abrasions throughout. Nice remaining pigments and detail with rich patina.

Provenance: private Colorado, USA collection; ex-Artemis Gallery; ex-private Graftan, Wisconsin, USA collection; ex-Artemis Gallery, Louisville, Colorado, USA; ex-private Cincinnati, Ohio, USA collection; ex-Peyton Wright Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all purchases.

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