Page 178 - The mystery of faith

hand. In a somewhat restless gesture, the Child also attempts to catch hold
of the saint’s tunic at the neck with his other hand, resulting in the rather
awkward position of his legs. The Child in the present sculpture was also
inspired by this early composition, though here, La Roldana varied the
twisting pose of the little figure and the position of the arms, reaching his
right hand to clasp the neckline of Joseph’s tunic, while resting his left arm
next to his body on the swaddling cloth or symbolic shroud. This gesture of
clutching the neckline is a detail repeated in the Antequera sculpture (Fig. 1).
The modelling of the infant figure is similar in all of La Roldana’s versions
for the subject. The heads in the works from Cadiz, the present sculpture,
and the Saint Anthony of Padua from the Church of Santa Cruz in Cadiz
(Fig. 6) all possess a similar sense of volume and litheness in the features.
They also share the same small sunken eyes, ample foreheads and hairstyle
characteristic of the artist, that is, parted to one side with the fringe
separated into locks ending in a curl.

In the present work the saint stands as if about to take a step forward,
advancing with his left leg. This sense of movement is shared by the other
three versions we have discussed (Cadiz, Antequera and Granada) and
shows the artist’s clear attempt to avoid a sense of stasis. Also, by parting
the folds of Joseph’s mantle, the artist revealed the shortened tunic and
Fig. 6 exposed the saint’s foot, which in the Cadiz and Granada versions wears a
sandal, but in the present sculpture and the version in Antequera is shod in
a kind of sandal-boot or legging. In every version, the swirling border of the
mantle reinforces the dynamic sense of movement that the sculptor imparted
to the figure. In the Antequera and Granada examples the agitated folds
describe a zigzag line, whereas in the present example the folds are more
gentle, undulating, and of a type half-way between the Cadiz and Antequera
versions. This more sophisticated approach to drapery of the Antequera and
Granada examples argues in favour of a later date for the works.

The head of Saint Joseph is similar to that in the Cadiz group, and shows
the same softened features, reduced volume in the beard and a similar
hairstyle, with a centre parting, allowing a glimpse of the saint’s right ear.
Moreover, the position of the head and the direction of the saint’s gaze are
similar in the both works, as well as the example from Antequera. The
saint’s arms are held parallel cradling the Child who fidgets in a swaddling
cloth. In all the versions, including the aforementioned Saint Antony of
Padua, the adult hands have short, stubby fingers, with the index finger
separated from the middle finger in a marked V shape, and the two middle
fingers joined, in a manner similar to the hands El Greco painted in his
figures.

Fig. 7

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