Christ at the Pillar
Huitzo, Oaxaca,
Mexico
Standing Christ,
crossed
hands tied to top of small pillar, red loincloth.
Wood, gesso, paint; glass eyes, sculpted hair. Approx. 3
feet
tall.
The figure carries the
marks
of the whipping, and there is some blood on the legs, but the
wounds
inflicted
later in the story of Good Friday are absent. The statue thus
appears
to
have been part of a well planned narrative. In contrast to the
Coixtlahuaca
example, the figure expresses not so much agony as a
weary, patient
humility as the wrists rest heavily on the pillar. The head
has a
delicate
look and seems a bit small for the body, which is well-muscled
and
sturdy.
The thickness of the statue at the hips and thighs suggests an
older,
polychrome
loincloth beneath the red velvet. The statue is in good
condition,
though
there are chips where the neck meets the shoulders.
More of the scourging of Christ