Oaxaca cathedral: Marcial de Santaella

In our previous post on the city church of San Felipe Neri, we noted a group of retablo paintings by the 18th century Oaxacan artist Marcial de Santaella.  In this post we look at a group of three larger paintings by Santaella to be found in Oaxaca cathedral. Two of them hang on either side of the cathedral entry and the third in the sacristy.

Recurring temblors throughout the 1600s took a heavy toll on Oaxaca cathedral along with many other buildings in the city. Starting in 1702 much of the cathedral, including the present front, was rebuilt  virtually from the foundations.  Despite continuing seismic activity the cathedral was finally completed under the supervision of local architect Miguel de Sanabria and re-dedicated in 1733 with great ceremony.

Among the new works of art created to adorn the new building were three large paintings by Marcial, the most prominent in a family of indigenous artists including his brothers Agustín, Pedro  and Francisco.  Santaella's work is generally in a popular vein, with a light Rococo touch, appealing colors and considerable charm, especially in his portrayal of angels and domestic scenes.
His cathedral paintings illustrate three common themes in colonial art:

The Seven Archangels of Palermo by Marcial de Santaella

This is one of two portraits of the Seven Princes, or Archangels found in the city of Oaxaca. The other, by the noted baroque painter José de Páez, hangs in the eponymous church of the Capuchin nuns.
Another, almost identical version, can be found in the church of San Pablo Mitla.

The Santaella painting is notable for its brightly clad, elongated figures in neo-Mannerist style. They are portrayed with almost feminine features that contrast with their sturdy buskined legs.  The Holy Trinity is shown prominently overhead.

All three versions are based on a widely circulated 16th century print by the Flemish engraver Hieronimus Wierix, reputedly of an earlier mural in a church of Palermo which explains the title.

Jeronimo Wierix print

St Christopher by Marcial de Santaella

Portraits of St Christopher carrying the Christ Child across the waters are common in many colonial era churches, usually located on the north side of the nave, symbolizing the bringing of Christianity to the New World.
This example by Santaella, again in a forthright popular style, is dated 1726 and includes the Virgin Mary overlooking the scene.

The Triumph of the Church by Marcial de Santaella

Perhaps the most ambitious of Santaella's works in the cathedral, it is the least accessible. This is the grand semicircular painting of the Triumph of the Church and the Sacrament, dated 1735 and now hanging over a doorway in the sacristy.   Once again, the Trinity is depicted in the curved upper section.
The composition, like most versions of this Counter Reformation theme, is based on a celebrated tapestry by Peter Paul Rubens, now in Madrid.

The Triumph of the Church by Rubens (1627)

Triumph of the Church and the Eucharist
by Baltazar de Echave Rioja (1675)  Puebla Cathedral.

Text © 2013 Richard D. Perry

Images by the author and others including El Conde de Selva Nevada.

for more on Oaxaca cathedral and the colonial arts of Oaxaca, consult our guidebook.

Oaxaca: San Felipe Neri, the church interior

Following the depredations of the Reform and its aftermath, renewal of the interior of San Felipe Neri finally began under Archbishop Gillow in the early 1900s, at which time the church walls were given a new look in the then fashionable but now rather incongruous Art Nouveau style.

Apart from the brilliant facade, the principal attraction of the church is its collection of late baroque altarpieces, considered to be the finest in the city. Unlike many other city retablos, these were never dismantled and retain their iconographic integrity.

San Felipe Neri, the main altarpiece  (Felipe Falcón)

Currently under restoration, the screenlike "Churrigueresque" main retablo, closely fitted into the apse beneath a giant shell arch, is a virtuoso work of art. 
   Its center section and lateral “wings” reach out to embrace the viewer, while exuberant estípite columns rise through three tiers, their ornate shafts carved with sculpted figures. 

   Apostles and Evangelists lean forward from sumptuous, curtained niches. Every line in the altarpiece seems multi-layered and every surface encrusted with rich ornament, adding to its depth and substance.

retablo of Guadalupe

By contrast, the retablo of the Virgin of Guadalupe in the left transept has relatively little relief, although displaying a filigree like surface of gilded rococo forms. 

Guadalupe retablo, detail

Luminous paintings of the Apparitions of the Virgin of Guadalupe, recently restored and mounted in eared oval frames, are signed by the noted baroque artist José de Páez, with dates in the 1750s and 1760s.

Its almost semicircular sister retablo of La Virgén del Pópolo, opposite, displays a majestic statue of the Virgin in the canopied principal niche. The lateral portraits of John the Baptist and the Holy Family—also reputedly by Páez—suggest a homely domesticity.

Four extraordinary paintings of archangels also line the transepts, mounted in ornate, gilded rococo frames. Their graceful figures seem in motion, clad in swirling, diaphanous robes trimmed with gold leaf. 

  

transept painting of the Archangel Gabriel by Paez

These are also attributed to Páez, an accomplished painter of archangels, whose closely related examples can be seen in the priory church of Santo Domingo de Oaxaca.

retablo of La Purísima

A second pair of retablos in the nave are dedicated to St. Joseph and the Immaculate Conception (La Purísima). Dating from the 1740s, they feature paintings by the Oaxacan artist Marcial de Santaella, whose work is also in the cathedral*

Here he favors sentimental scenes of conventionally posed figures with sweet expressions; the naive scene of the Birth of the Virgin is especially appealing.

*look for our forthcoming post on Marcial de Santaella in Oaxaca

text and photography © 2005 & 2013 Richard D. Perry (except where noted)


for more on the colonial arts of Oaxaca, consult our guidebook

Oaxaca: San Felipe Neri, the exterior

This is the first of two posts on the church of San Felipe Neri in the city of Oaxaca.  Our first page looks at the extraordinary facade, and the second on the interior and its colonial art treasures.

On July 31, 1843, Benito Juarez, a Zapotec Indian, future president of Mexico and national icon, married Margarita Maza in the imposing church of San Felipe Neri.Under the Reform Laws of 1859—a Juarez initiative—the religious orders were disbanded, churches vandalized and clerical properties sold off. Fortunately, San Felipe Neri and its treasures largely survived these draconian measures.

The Oratorian Order was founded in the 1500s by the Roman mystic Filippo Neri, devoted to upholding the tenets of the Catholic Counter Reformation. The Oaxaca church, established in 1661 by the Oratorian pioneer Juan de Aragón, was among the first foundations of this conservative religious order in Mexico.
Construction of the present church and its adjoining hospital, however, was delayed until the 1730s and not completed until 1803, when the towers were added.

The Facade

The south-facing church front, newly restored in dazzling white stone, is a landmark of the distinctive Oaxacan baroque. From its tiny forecourt, the facade seems to soar heavenwards.

All three tiers of the facade feature neo-Plateresque Corinthian columns, embellished with filigree strapwork and bulbous candlestick shafts, creating richly textured surfaces. Elaborate but now empty shell niches with sculpted corbels fit between the columns. Ornamental volutes frame the gable, which encloses a relief cross entwined with the monograms of the Holy Family.

The solitary remaining statue, representing founder St. Philip Neri, stands within a large eared frame bordered, like the octagonal choir window overhead, by beaded moldings with diamante points.

Above the keystone of the doorway a bold relief of the dove of the Holy Spirit, perched on the Oratorian biretta, lifts the eye to the foliated spandrels and a carved frieze of winged angels above.

text ©2013 Richard D. Perry. Photography courtesy of Mary Ann Sullivan

for more on the colonial arts of Oaxaca, consult our new guide

Yanhuitlan: the convento

To conclude our series on Yanhuitlan, we look at the convento and its various components.

Yanhuitlan convento entrance porteria (before restoration)

Yanhuitlan convento entrance porteria  (2012)

A huge basket handle archway, set at the top of a broad flight of stone steps beside the church, spans the stage-like portería, which may have functioned as an open chapel in the early years of the monastery. 

convento entry (Ramón Moreno Rodríguez)

At its rear, relief rosettes and urns frame the entry to the convento, which is surmounted by the Dominican cross and emblazoned with the motto of the Order, “Therefore We Preach Christ Crucified.” 

      

cloister before restoration                                 cloister today

The restored two-story cloister is the heart of the convento. Although the ancient cypress tree that once shaded the patio has been replaced by a tiled compass pattern, the stone-flagged walks still offer a traditional haven for meditation, despite having lost much of their ancient patina.

Finely carved stonework distinguishes the elegant lower cloister. Smoothly molded arcades rest on compound piers of Doric half columns, faced with sturdy prow buttresses. Ribbed vaults cover the five bays on each side, increasing in complexity above the corner compartments. 

   As in the church, the vaults spring from rounded corbels set in a running cornice along the inner walls. Diminutive roof bosses, carved with the eight-pointed Dominican star, are recessed into the ceiling at each corner. Large, rosette-studded niches at the end of each walk formerly housed sacred images for the contemplation of the friars as they perambulated the cloister.

From the entry vestibule, a monumental stone staircase winds around the adjacent stairwell, its heavy stone rail topped with globes and fleur-de-lis finials.

A striking fresco of St. Christopher stands above the stairs—the only intact mural to survive in the convento. Carrying the Christ Child on his shoulder, the saint strides from the stormy torrent, observed by a diminutive friar holding out a lantern—a portrait, according to local lore, of Fray Bernardino de Minaya, the pioneering Oaxacan missionary.
Notwithstanding its awkward bodily proportions and the rigid folds of the saint’s drapery and pantaloons—in contrast to the elegant statue of the saint in the church—the mural projects an iconic force.

Two wall confessionals, their openings also outlined with bands of rosettes, link church and cloister along the north walk. And on the east walk, a noble pedimented doorway with unusual spiral pedestals originally gave access to the Sagrario Chapel. 

Sagrario Chapel, Descent from the Cross  (Felipe Falcón)

At the far end of this long, dimly-lit chapel is a rare painted altarpiece reputedly carved entirely from alabaster, or Mexican onyx. 

Framed in the Dominican fashion with slender baluster columns and a flattened arch ornamented with rosettes, the central relief depicts the Descent from the Cross—an insistent motif at Yanhuitlan. 
St. John and the Three Marys mourn the dead Christ, whose limp body is gently lowered by turbanned figures. Despite its somewhat stilted, two-dimensional aspect—a reflection of the Italian engraving from which the anonymous native sculptor worked—this tableau achieves great expressive power. 

upper cloister, cell relief  (Roberta Christie)

Built of brick, the upper cloister walks have wood beamed ceilings instead of stone vaults. Rows of friars’ cells open off the corridors behind the walks. Although the partitions between most of the cells are gone, some of the picturesque window seats remain. 

Dominican insignia are carved on the lintels of each cell doorway and include such emblems as the hand of St. Catherine of Siena holding the heart of Christ, St. Thomas Aquinas holding a church and book, and the Five Wounds of Christ superimposed on the Cross of Alcántara. 

Death Enthroned

The reinstalled museum, in the long gallery to the right of the entrance foyer, displays an extraordinary collection of religious artifacts, including painted wooden angels belonging to the barrio chapels of Yanhuitlan. 
One of the most evocative of the figures in the collection is the macabre image of Death Enthroned. Fashioned in part from a human skeleton, it is a powerful artifact of the folk imagination.

costumed barrio angels in Yanhuitlan's Easter Procession (photo Alessia Frassani)

The town of Yanhuitlan has eight traditional barrios, each with its special image of Christ under the care of a religious confraternity.  These are lightweight cristos de caña, designed to be carried in procession on special feast days with its accompanying statue of an archangel. Some of these cristos and angels are in the museum, and two stand in the church. 

The most famous of these figures, El Señor de Ayuxi—patron of the principal religious fiesta in Yanhuitlan—resides in the barrio chapel of El Calvario, located north of the monastery. 

For more on the barrio angels of Yanhuitlan see Alessia Frassani's web site

text © 2006 & 2013 Richard D. Perry.  Images by the author except where noted.

For more on Yanhuitlan and the colonial churches of Oaxaca, consult our illustrated guide book.

Look for our future posts on the church of San Felipe Neri in the city of Oaxaca.

Yanhuitlan: the church

In an earlier post we described the altarpieces inside the church. Here we consider some of its other treasures:

The dimensions of the Yanhuitlan nave are audacious for earthquake country—over 200 feet long, almost 60 feet wide, and a breathtaking 100 feet in height. 

Majestic Gothic vaults cover the three main bays of the nave and the choir, reinforced by clusters of ribs which spring from huge drum corbels embedded in a layered running cornice that encircles the nave. 

photograph  by Rodrigo Baldivia

A vast raised choir dominates the west end of the church. Beneath the choir is an exquisitely crafted alfarje, or wooden artesonado ceiling. Recently restored, it is one of a handful of surviving 16th century examples in Mexico. 

  Carved entirely of cedar, the complex mudéjar pattern is composed of alternating hexagonal and diamond-shaped modules, or casetones. Each recessed module is built up from richly carved and painted moldings, creating a densely textured tapestry. 
  A pendant carved in the form of a delicate rosette hangs from the center of each hexagon. 

photograph by Charlotte Ekland

The baptistry is also rib-vaulted and contains a monolithic font of striking design. 
While its stone basin is conventionally carved with foliage and Dominican rosettes, it stands on a fluted shaft supported by four corner legs in the form of plumed serpents devouring each other—a pre-hispanic motif referring to the four cardinal directions. 

 

A magnificent baroque organ stands on a giant pillar beside the choir. This ornate 18th century instrument has recently been restored to playable condition and during recitals, the church is filled with music not heard here for over 200 years.

  

text and images © Richard D. Perry, except where noted

for more on Yanhuitlan and the colonial churches of Oaxaca, consult our illustrated guide book

Yanhuitlan: the altarpieces

For our second post on Yanhuitlan we look inside the church, which holds an extraordinary assemblage of colonial art. We focus first on the altarpieces which display a range of styles that span the viceregal era.

Yanhuitlan, the apse and retablo mayor

The lofty main retablo is one of the great masterpieces of Mexican art, towering 70 feet to almost touch the coffered vault of the apse. Having suffered serious deterioration, the retablo structure was recently stabilized and strengthened, and restoration of the framework, paintings and sculptures is near completion.

apsidal arch: relief figure of archangel

A majestic coffered half dome covers the apse. Each coffer contains an eight-pointed golden star—the celestial symbol of St. Dominic—shining forth against the dark blue of the vault.

The broad triumphal arch framing the sanctuary is exuberantly ornamented with ornate stucco reliefs, probably executed in the early years of the 17th century by Pueblan artisans. The figures of St. Peter, St. Paul and several archangels emerge from a web of interwoven strapwork.

The magnificent altarpiece presents a screen-like profile with lateral wings projecting outwards to the nave. In the 17th century, the original 16th century frame was remodeled in baroque style, with spiral columns of twisted vines, shell niches and a profusion of ornate scrollwork and carved foliage. Gilded columns divide the retablo into seven vertical bands, or calles, with alternating paintings and sculptures, which mostly date from the earlier, 16th century altarpiece. 

The principal paintings have been identified as the work of Andrés de Concha, the celebrated painter, sculptor and designer from Seville who traveled to Mexico in 1568, under commission by the encomendero Gonzalo de Las Casas to supervise the creation and installation of the altarpiece. (Before and after completing the Yanhuitlan altarpiece in 1579, De Concha worked extensively in Oaxaca, on retablos for Teposcolula, Coixtlahuaca, Tamazulapan, Tlaxiaco as well as later for Santo Domingo and the cathedral in the city Oaxaca, often in collaboration with the Flemish artist, Simon Pereyns.) 

De Concha painted in the Mannerist style of the Andalusian school, noted for its subtly mellow colors. The paintings at Yanhuitlan are considered the earliest, the most complete, and the finest of his Mexican oeuvre. Their Renaissance composition is enlivened with hints of baroque drama in the realistic Spanish manner.

Among the 13 panels, now largely cleaned and restored, we find familiar episodes from the lives of Christ and the Virgin placed broadly in chronological order as they rise, although some may have been misplaced during later changes to the altarpiece. The subjects are compelling, and the figures are grouped to create dramatic intensity with attention paid to facial expressions and graceful gestures. 

The penitential saints Jerome and a langorous Mary Magdalene appear on the base panel, or predella. 

On the first tier above the predella, a theatrical Annunciation scene contrasts an energetic Archangel Gabriel, bedecked in flying drapery, with the serene figure of the Virgin Mary at prayer. 

Adoration of the Shepherds (before restoration)

The Adoration of the Shepherds, on the right, captures the awe of the rustics, who gaze upon the Christ Child floating in the foreground. One of the shepherds is wearing Indian sandals. By way of contrast, the Adoration of the Magi on the next tier portrays splendid personages in luxurious costumes.

On the third tier the themes shift from Christ's birth to events following his death with depictions of the Resurrection, Ascension and Pentecost.

Virgin of the Rosary (as restored by INAH)

The panels on the fourth level include a luminous Virgin of the Rosary, ringed by miniatures of the Mysteries of the Rosary. Among the pious worshippers assembled at her feet are  members of Spanish colonial society. The church hierarchy is to the left, including the pope, a bishop and a Dominican friar. The remains of Gonzalo de Las Casas and his family, the benefactors of Yanhuitlan, reputedly rest in niches behind the retablo.

Last Judgment (as restored by INAH)

The Last Judgment opposite, which may once have occupied top tier, has a Michelangelesque dynamism made even more dramatic by its brilliant Mannerist coloration.

Descent from the Cross (as restored by INAH)

The sinuous Descent from the Cross at the top of the altarpiece was recently cleaned and is now revealed as another masterwork. The rigid body of Christ is lowered from the cross to the grief stricken Mary at his feet. Subtle, melancholy hues predominate.

Sixteen handsome statues, monumentally carved in dignified poses and set in shell niches, complement the paintings.  The figures come in fours: the Four Evangelists, the Four Founders of the religious orders, the Four Doctors and the Four Fathers of the Latin Church. St. Dominic, the patron saint of Yanhuitlan, stands alone at the top. 
Attributed to Simon Pereyns, the hands and faces are expressively detailed, although the brilliant estofado treatment of the draperies may be the result of later retouching.

retablo of La Soledad (©Felipe Falcón)

No less than ten side altarpieces, large and small, and in varying states of repair line the nave. They run the gamut of colonial styles from Plateresque to Churrigueresque. The altarpiece of La Soledad (The Virgin of Sorrows) is thought to be the work of de Concha, as may be its graceful statue of St Christopher (sans staff and Christ Child.)

statue of St Christopher (Richard Stracke)

text and images © Richard D Perry, except where noted

We would like to acknowledge the wonderful scholarly work done recently 

on Yanhuitlan by Alessia Frassani