Page 100 - The mystery of faith

ATTRIBUTED TO PEDRO DE MENA AND WORKSHOP

(Granada 1628 – 1688 Málaga)

8. Saint Anthony of Padua (?), articulated imagen de vestir

Wood, carved and polychromed
70 x 23 x 21 cm (27 ½ x 9 ? x 8 ¾ in.)

T he origins of the imágenes de vestir, or sculptures created expressly to be dressed in real
clothes, lie with the processional sculptures carried through the streets of Spanish cities
during Holy Week. Heads, hands and occasionally feet were carved and polychromed, with
the rest of the figure reduced to a rudimentary scaffolding that would be covered by often
elaborate garments. This type of sculptured figure was less costly for the confraternity that
commissioned it, and much lighter for the penitents struggling beneath the platforms bearing the holy
images. Although these images came to life within the sphere of popular religion, they were often
created by the greatest artists of the time, such as Juan Martínez Montañés’ Jesús de la Pasión (c. 1615;
Figs. 1, 2) or Juan de Mesa’s Cristo del Gran Poder (1620; Fig. 3). These images often had articulated
arms, both to facilitate dressing them and to make them iconographically flexible. Thus, Martínez
Montañés’ Jesús de la Pasión could both represent either Christ Carrying the Cross (Jesús Nazareno) o
standing with his arms crossed before him as an Ecce Homo. However, these dressed sculptures were
not limited to use as processional images, and they were extremely popular throughout the Hispanic
world. Shipments of the heads and hands of Christ, the Virgin Mary and a host of saints were even
exported to the Americas where they were given bodies and wardrobes.

This articulated imagen de vestir of a Franciscan saint may represent Saint Anthony of Padua. This is
suggested by the degree of movement in the arms, which is more than necessary for dressing the
sculpture. Once the sculpture was dressed, the arms could be moved to hold the book, the lily, and the
image of the Christ Child that are the iconographical markers for that saint. His downward gaze
(towards the Christ Child) would accord with this interpretation.

The refinement of the carved and polychromed parts of this sculpture and comparison with other works
by the artist strongly suggest an attribution to the Granadan sculptor Pedro de Mena (1628–1688). He
was first a pupil of his father Alonso de Mena, then, after his father’s death, he worked with the
sculptor Bernardo de Mora, who had moved to Granada in 1650. When Alonso Cano arrived in
Granada in 1652, Pedro de Mena began collaborating with him, creating four sculptures for the
Convent of the Guardian Angel after Cano’s designs (1656–1657). This project left an indelible stylistic
mark on Mena’s work, though he did not remain long thereafter in Granada.

In 1658 Mena was called to Malaga by the bishop and the cathedral chapter to complete the choir stalls
there with forty relief panels representing saints. The contract required Mena to move to Malaga where

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