Page 24 - The mystery of faith

on behalf of sinners by the Virgin Mary; the authenticity of relics; and the power of the visual arts to
inspire prayer and contemplation as well as a spiritual sharing of the suffering of Christ for mankind’s
sins.

???

J uan Martínez Montañés (1568–1649) was the leading sculptor in Seville. He created several
important altarpieces, sometimes collaborating with Francisco Pacheco as painter, but his
characteristic use of simple poses, serenity of expression, and unalloyed naturalism can be exemplified
in a single work, his famous Cristo de la Clemencia created for Seville Cathedral between 1603 and
1606 (Figs. 9a, b, c). The detailed contract for that commission states:

The Crucified shall be represented still living, before he breathes out the last sigh, the head inclined to the
right side as if he was turning to a man, who is praying at the foot of the cross and as if he wished to
speak to this man and to remind him that what he suffers is done for the sake of him who is praying there;
eyes and face shall show strong expression and the eyes shall be wide open.

An artist working in marble, alabaster or bronze could not have achieved the ‘still living’ likeness that
the patron required. The emotional response of the public to images such as the Cristo de la Clemencia
made the spectators not just passive witnesses, but active participants in the Passion of Christ. An
anonymous sixteenth-century Sevillian poet wrote:

Fig. 9a Fig. 9b Fig. 9c

24