Acolman: The Arma Christi relief

Acolman, the Augustinian rear cloister

San Agustín Acolman is the grandest 16th century monastery in the Valley of Mexico, renowned for its superb architecture, sculpture and murals. The variety of carved crosses at Acolman comprises a virtual compendium of the imagery and styles to be found in the region.   
   Twelve intriguing reliefs are emblazoned above the lower arcades in the larger rear cloister at Acolman. Although they reveal a wide variation in the quality and styles of the carving, all are distinguished by their boldness of execution. They illustrate a number of themes, together with Augustinian insignia, but several show various representations of the cross.
Here we focus on one relief in particular, the “shield” cross.

The Shield Cross
Framed by a curved escutcheon and expertly modeled in the round, this is the most complex, the most intricately carved and the most interesting of the cloister medallions.
   The relief portrays a cross emerging from a tomb, surrounded by a panoply of the Arma Christi, or objects associated with the Passion, suggesting a variant of the Mass of St Gregory.  While this is a fairly common depiction, the various objects are artfully arrayed around the cross in a compact but compelling design—the crown of thorns draped around the neck, the spear and hyssop at an angle against the cross, with the other implements harmoniously fitted into the interstices. One unusual detail is Christ’s rumpled tunic casually draped over the tomb opening. 
   Although no Wounds are shown, two inclined heads protrude below the arms. On the right, the bearded and turbaned head probably portrays Caiphas, the high priest and prosecutor of Christ.    Opposite, an ambiguous figure wearing net like headgear spits or utters an imprecation towards the cross, possibly representing a Roman soldier or the “spitting” Jew of biblical lore.

text ©2016 Richard D. Perry
please review our earlier posts on Mexican crosses: Alfajayucan; Tepeapulco; Cuitzeo; Actopan: Charapan; Bucareli/El Pueblito;Tepoztlan; Uruapan; Cholula; Cajititlan; Coyoacan; Axotla; Chimalistac; Mixcoac; Huipulco; Santo Tomás Ajusco;San Pedro Martir; Atoyac; Capacho; Huandacareo; Huango; Huaniqueo; Corupo; Temimilcingo; 

Mexican Crosses: Two at Temimilcingo

In our previous post we described the carved cross at Alfajayucan; here we look at the sculpted atrium cross at Temimilcingo, in the state of Morelos.

Asunción Temimilcingo 

"On the Small Round Stone Column"

"On the Small, Round Stone Column" is a reference, preserved in the Aztec place name, to an ancient shrine or temple here, now long gone. But the tradition of sanctity lives on in the mission, perhaps erected on the original temple site.
   Like nearby Tlaquiltenango, this early Franciscan mission in the tierra caliente of Morelos was taken over by the Dominicans in the mid 1500s.

  

The unprepossessing rectangular church front, with its solitary tower, has as its only ornament a Calvary cross relief featuring a large "windblown" crown of thorns with protruding spikes over the axis.

  

But the main interest here is the imposing atrium cross, still mounted in the churchyard. Possibly a remnant from the Franciscan tenure of Temimilcingo, this rustic carved cross is our favorite among the few that survive in this region.
   Raised on a high base inset with an arched cavity extending deep into the base at the front—still a receptacle for devotional offerings—the cross is set on a box pedestal carved with crossed bones. 

The cross itself is carved with a full assortment of Passion related reliefs, packed tightly between raised borders. 
   As with the facade cross, a worn, spiny crown of thorns seems to rotate at the crossing. A trio of angled spikes with round, drilled bases appears on the arms and lower shaft—minimal representations of Christ's wounds.

  
upper shaft;                                lower shaft

Other objects crowded on the shaft include three tumbling dice beside an elongated column topped with a rooster. At the foot, a corn plant springs from an oval ring. An indistinct INRI plaque transfixes the head of the cross.
   There are also four profile heads: two small heads are outlined in the outer corners of each arm, while the head of Judas appears on the upper shaft, dangling a rope and purse, flanked by rows of silver coins. A fourth head at the foot of the cross vomits an angry speech scroll.
   It is tempting to regard this densely carved stone monument as the successor to a stele or inscribed pillar that may once have graced the ancient temple precinct here.

Other features of interest at Temimilcingo include the old stone fonts and folkloric processional santos in the baptistry, as well as the austere but neatly restored two story cloister.

text © 2016 Richard D. Perry

images by the author and Niccolò Brooker
please review our earlier posts on Mexican crosses: Alfajayucan; Tepeapulco; Cuitzeo; Actopan: Charapan; Bucareli/El Pueblito;Tepoztlan; Uruapan; Cholula; Cajititlan; Coyoacan; Axotla; Chimalistac; Mixcoac; Huipulco; Santo Tomás Ajusco;San Pedro Martir; Atoyac; Capacho; Huandacareo; Huango; Huaniqueo; Corupo; 

Mexican Crosses. Alfajayucan: the atrium cross

In our previous post we looked at the architecture and murals of San Martín Alfajayucan, Hidalgo. Here we describe its magnificent atrium cross.  
   Now mounted on a pedestal in the center of the cloister patio, the Alfajayucan cross is chiseled from dark red volcanic tezontle and densely carved on all sides with the symbols of Christ's Passion in flat relief. 

Alfajayucan, atrium cross, side one

On both faces, for example, the intricately sculpted disk at the crossing represents a stylized crown of thorns. Other instruments of the Passion appear along either arm and down the shaft. 
   On one side, a knife, nails and rows of silver coins stand out along the arms while on the shaft, a large cockerel perches atop an elongated, fluted column above a chalice and host. A tiny bleeding wound is carved below.

Alfajayucan, atrium cross, side two

On the reverse face, along the right arm a metal tipped scourge dominates, with a lantern squeezed in at the end. A sideways tunic appears on the left side. Squared bunches of foliage terminate both arms. 
   A garlanded, crossed spear and reed are prominently displayed on the shaft below a trio of detailed, square dice. Below one arm are carved a ladder and corn plant. 
   An ornamental INRI plaque inscribed on both sides caps the cross. Altogether an outstanding example of a sculpted colonial cross in this region of finely carved colonial stone crosses.

text © 2016 Richard D. Perry

color images courtesy of Niccolò Brooker
please review our earlier posts on Mexican crosses: Tepeapulco; Cuitzeo; Actopan; Charapan; Bucareli/El Pueblito; Tepoztlan; Uruapan; Cholula; Cajititlan; Coyoacan; Axotla; Chimalistac; Mixcoac; Huipulco; Santo Tomás Ajusco; San Pedro Martir; Atoyac; Capacho; Huandacareo; Huango; Huaniqueo; Corupo; 

San Martín Alfajayucan. the monastery and its murals

Here is the first of two posts on this early Franciscan monastery in Hidalgo. The second will describe the unique atrium cross there.

ALFAJAYUCAN 

Where the Waters Rise 

San Martín Alfajayucan is a spartan Franciscan monastery located in the chaparral dotted badlands of the western Mezquital, about 50 kms north of Tula, in the state of Hidalgo.

  

The lofty church front is a tapestry of neat ashlar stonework in mingled hues of ocher, rose-red and hyacinth.  Coffered diamante panels around the arches of the west door and the choir window are the only adornment, reminiscent of the Zempoala and Tula facades. 

  

                                                                   Charlotte Eckland

The church interior has been largely stripped of its colonial furnishings, although the exquisite baroque pulpit, dated 1772 and inset with portraits of the four Evangelists and surmounted by a finely finished statue of St. Michael, still remains.

portería before restoration — Charlotte Eckland

Breakin news...
The formerly blocked portería to the convento on the north side of the church has just been opened up, and its colonnade restored. Now, the grand open chapel behind the arcade is exposed and fully restored, revealing a spectacular new dimension to the monastery. 
   Murals of the Annunciation—Mary on one side and the Archangel Gabriel on the other—have been uncovered in the spandrels of the chapel arch. Fragments of other murals line the walls, awaiting further restoration. 

©puntoporpunto

 

From the single open bay of the portería, a long, narrow passage leads the visitor into the clean cloister, cut from attractive, pink and lavender stonework like the facade. 
   As with the portería arcade, plain unfolded arches rest on ringed columns with coffered slab capitals and bases severity is somewhat softened by the  tones of the masonry. A carved supporting corbel is dated 1585.

The Murals
Although most of the multi-colored frescoes that once embellished the cloister walks have disappeared, a few fragments remain to brighten these austere precincts. 

A large, oval Maria monogram, flanked by full length robed figures of saints Peter and Paul, is emblazoned above the entry arch against a faded blue background. The doorway is framed by panels of detailed grotesque ornament with putti entwined in foliage.

Above the Isabelline arch of a doorway along the north walk appears the vestigial figure of St. Francis Receiving the Stigmata, set in a wooded landscape with rocks, animals and other unidentifiable figures—the only narrative mural now in evidence at Alfajayucan.  Painted panels flanking the doorway include Plateresque candelabra also with the date 1576—a rare dated mural.
Another partial Annunciation scene unfolds on one of the arcades—a portrait of Mary.

Along the cloister walks, a sinuous upper frieze portrays angels, demonic masks and winged horses (pegasi) picked out in white against a sepia background. 

text ©1992 & 2016 Richard D. Perry

color images ©1990 by the author. 
additional photography: Benjamin Arredondo and Charlotte Eckland

San Miguel Atitalaquia: a desert oasis

In contrast to the petite 16th century church of Tlamaco that we described in an earlier post, we now look at its grander neighbor, the imposing baroque church at Atitalaquia.

Isolated in the arid, chalky flatlands of central Hidalgo, the grand but little known * parish church of San Miguel Atitalaquia appears almost like a mirage, floating in its large, lushly landscaped atrium fringed by crenelated walls.
   Although the original Franciscan mission was founded here in the mid-1500s, and some reconstruction took place in the 1600s, the present church was extensively rebuilt in the later 1700s under episcopal auspices.

Some remembrances of the earlier mission are found in the surviving arcade of the cloister and the garitas, or pyramidal sentry boxes, that cap the buttresses along the walls. There are also reliefs of the sun, moon, stars and crosses embedded in the exterior nave walls.
   The overbearing red dome and distracting flying buttress bracing the tower on the north side are much later additions.

The most impressive feature at Atitalaquia is the church front, skillfully cut from rose colored stone. Its elegant "retablo" facade is compartmented in the manner of the earlier baroque although prominently structured by ornate estípite columns more typical of the later 1700s. The oval, moorish choir window and undulating cornices also support this later date.
   Several of the original statues remain in their shell niches notably St. Barbara with her tower on the lower tier and the patron saint, the Archangel Michael, in the crowning gable.

St. Barbara

   

Other examples of stone carving at Atitalaquia include the atrium cross, with its three spiked, bleeding "wounds," and a monolithic stone font carved with rosettes inside the church.

text & images © 2016 Richard D. Perry
* We have found nothing written on Atitalaquia since Manuel Toussaint's Paseos Coloniales published in the 1940s

Folk Baroque: San Cristóbal Nexquipayac

This former salt making village on the shores of Lake Texcoco is home to a handsome temple dedicated to St. Christopher. (San Cristóbal)

Fashioned from dark basalt, the rounded west doorway may date from the late 1500s. It is framed by an elegant alfiz and carved with several medallions that incorporate the Dominican fleur-de-lis cross.  

 

The sculpted doorway features rosettes and fronds of acanthus foliage anchored by dog reliefs—another Dominican emblem.

Eagles (pelicans?) with spread wings adorn the surrounding alfiz.

Other carvings in folkloric style at Nexquipayac include a painted relief of the patron St. Christopher in the upper facade, the young Christ on his shoulder, flanked by bleeding, rose like wounds.
Inside the church, a scaly fish poised above a holy water basin is supported by an odd dancing figure.

Another item of early stone carving is the former atrium cross in the churchyard. A similar, plainer but related cross stands atop the gable. Both feature outsized heads of Christ in the regional manner (Acolman).

                     atrium cross                                                       gable cross

text © 2016 Richard D. Perry

color images courtesy of Niccolò Brooker and Felipe Falcón

Folk Baroque: El Santuario de Tepalcingo.

In an early series of posts on this blog—in July 2012—we looked at a cluster of country churches in southern Morelos and western Puebla with vividly painted and sculpted popular baroque facades. 
   Most churches in this group trace their style and decor to the seminal church front of nearby Tepalcingo, which because of its complexity we can describe only briefly in this post.

Tepalcingo

El Santuario was built between 1759 and 1782 to house the miraculous image of Jesus the Nazarene, or El Señor de Las Tres Caidas, whose popular cult was then, as now, attracting increasingly large numbers of pilgrims from across the region. 
   The extraordinary, sculpted retablo style facade is a masterpiece related to the popular barroco poblano style, probably executed by masons and stucco craftsmen from Puebla, although it is quite unlike any church in that city. 
   Fashioned from warm sandstone, from time to time in the past the facade has been painted in contrasting hues, although currently much of the color has faded.

Described variously as a "sermon in stone"* or a "deeply moving folk drama,"* the facade recounts the Christian story—the fall and redemption of man through the Life and Passion of Christ—via a highly intricate iconography * that features a myriad of biblical figures and events, culminating in the Calvary spread across the gable. 
   These are related in a series of expressive tableaux and relief figures skilfully modeled in a popular tradition reminiscent of religious sculpture dating back to medieval times.  

© Niccolò Brooker

In addition to the Crucifixion scene, other focal tableaux include the sorrowful figure of Jesus the Nazarene below the choir window, and Jesus with the Apostles lined up with their attributes above the doorway. (Formerly erroneously thought to represent the Last Supper)

   

Although sui generis in the annals of Mexican popular art, these tableaux and statuary are framed in an eclectic mode of the late baroque by a variety of entwined pilasters, ornamental niches, friezes and archways, all enhanced by a tapestry of densely carved angels, heraldic insignia, swags, spirals and scrolls.

   

Imperial two-headed eagle                  west doorway & columns

* This unique colonial monument and its iconography have been studied by eminent art historians including Manuel Toussaint, Constantino Reyes-Valerio and Robert Mullen. 
* Joseph Armstrong Baird
* "... Architecturally, the cruciform church is not unusual. Sculpturally, its facade has no equal. Its purpose was meant to be didactic, since many episodes from the life and death of Christ are depicted. The tall rectangular facade is set so deeply between tower bases that it allows for a folding screen composition comprising three horizontal tiers and five vertical divisions. 
   Amidst a welter of images the drama unfolds section by section.  Immediately capturing one's attention is the high relief statue of Saint Peter in the section to the left of the door . Angels hold back heavy curtains allowing mortals to view him holding the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. In the niche above is a scene from the Agony in the Garden, an angel succoring Christ. The sleeping apostles are found on the outer panel on the far left. 
    Adam lies asleep in the capital of the doorjamb; opposite, on the right jamb, Eve gazes at the forbidden fruit. Mirroring Saint Peter, Saint Paul stands under the blindfolded Christ. The large figures on the four columns are the four evangelists with their respective symbols. 
Figures and flora emerge from bulbous columns. At the base of the farthest right column is a heart sprouting flowers; its mirror image to the left of the door is pierced with swords… Above the arched door frame and filling the spandrels, angels hold a cloth which forms the keystone. A frieze stretching across three divisions of the facade is devoted to the Last Supper (?). In the center, Christ holds bread and a chalice. To either side are four apostles; the other eight are located in the adjoining panels. 
   Above, the mocked Christ is seated in the niche, a wreath of thorns on his head, a cloak thrown over his shoulders. On both sides of the niche a flat floral pattern, fronted with squat square columns, stretches across the facade. An occasional angel floats downward. In the middle tier other scenes from Christ's passion are depicted. Here undulating columns are intertwined, more organic than structural. Their pattern of sinuous lines and drilled holes makes them almost serpentine. 
   The scene in the crest completes the iconography. In the center is Christ crucified, with Mary Magdalen at his feet; Mary, his mother, to his right; John to his left; and, to each side of Christ, the crucified thieves. At top center, God the Father blesses the Son with his right hand; the left holds a globe, symbolizing the universe. 
   While Adam and Eve are depicted still in their state of innocence, their fall into sin is clearly implied, since the overriding theme of the figured facade is mankind's redemption from eternal death. If thoughts and intentions behind this work were European, the execution was not. The native artist simply called on his experience and told the story, putting it together as a great piece of popular art. This facade, while echoing the didactic facades of Romanesque Europe, cannot be imagined in eighteenth-century Europe. "  (description adapted from Robert Mullen, 1997)

text © 2016 Richard D. Perry

images by the author and Niccolò Brooker