Christ at the Pillar

Church of San Juan Bautista, Coixtlahuaca, Oaxaca, Mexico
Wood, gesso, paint; glass eyes, indications of formed eyelashes, bald; tongue, six sculpted teeth; painted wood pillar and stand.

This statue is quite different from Huitzo's more sedate Christ at the Pillar. There is a good deal more blood. The figure has fallen down and is held up by a rope tied to the pillar's top. The lesions at the knees, elbows, and shins are remarkably large and deep, showing muscle below. The crown of thorns is in an unusual, more perpendicular variation of the basketweave pattern. The right hand has lost the pinkie and index fingers; the left index finger has been repaired.

More of the Passion

Photo: Claire and Richard Stracke. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.