Large 18th-century Colonial Baroque Sculpture Depicting Saint South America, Carved Gilded Wood

Polychrome Wooden Colonial Saint with Book, South America, 18th century

An important Baroque religious sculpture carved from wood, coated, and polychromed, depicting a standing saint holding a closed book against her left arm. The right hand is extended forward and was originally intended to hold an attribute that is now missing.

The figure adopts a frontal and solemn pose, brought to life by the ample drapery of the cloak that generously envelops the body. The face, with its calm and regular features, contrasts with the decorative richness of the garment. The dress and cloak retain their original polychromy, combining red, green, blue, and cream with decorative highlights reminiscent of embroidered fabrics and brocades. The large folds of the cloak, the decorative treatment of the surfaces, and the emphasis on color place this sculpture within the tradition of Iberian religious statuary from the Baroque period. Significant surface wear reveals the underlying preparation in places and attests to the work’s age.

The sculpture can be compared to Spanish and Portuguese religious works from the 17th and 18th centuries, in which wood carving is complemented by elaborate polychromy intended to enhance the appearance of skin tones and fabrics. The decoration on the cloak also evokes the Iberian “estofado” tradition, based on the imitation of rich fabrics, damasks, and brocades. The absence of the attribute originally held in the right hand makes it impossible to identify with certainty the saint depicted.

Title: Saint with a Book, figure of a saint or female martyr.

Origin: South America

Period: 18th century.

Style: Baroque

Technique/medium: Carved, plastered, and polychromed wood.

Dimensions: height 60 cm; width 34 cm; depth 40 cm.