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Infant Jesus

José de Arce (Flemish, died 1666)
Spanish
about 1640–50

Medium/Technique Painted wood
Dimensions Overall: 58 x 28 x 25 cm (22 13/16 x 11 x 9 13/16 in.)
Credit Line John Lowell Gardner Fund, Marshall H. Gould Fund, Russell B. and Andrée Beauchamp Stearns Fund, and Tamara Petrosian Davis Sculpture Fund

Accession Number2011.1637
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsEurope
ClassificationsSculpture
A rosy cheeked infant Christ strides forward with his right arm out stretched in blessing. His cloak has been decorated to imitate brocade using the estofado technique, a process where paint is applied over a gilded surface and then scratched away to reveal the gold beneath. The delicate modeling of Christ’s face and legs highlight his innocence and vulnerability, while his powerful stance shows his role as the Savior. The sculpture, already full of vitality when stationary, would have been further animated by its use in ceremonial processions.

ProvenancePossibly from the Convent of the Holy Spirit, Seville [see note 1]. Before 1999, Andrés Moro, Seville. By 2007, Antonio Plata, Seville. 2010, acquired in Seville by Matthiesen Gallery, London; 2011, sold by Matthiesen to the MFA. (Accession date: September 21, 2011)

NOTES:
[1] José Luis Romero Torres, unpublished essay, 2011.