Antique Dress-up Sculpture - Spain, C. 1700

This stripped-down, schematic structure, dating from the late 17th century, embodies the fascinating mechanics of Baroque theatricality: the type of statue known as a *vestidera* or *candelero* (mannequin-like in structure). With its lower section reduced to a framework of wooden slats designed to support petticoats and skirts, the work focuses all the sculptor’s talent on the head and the visible parts, which are painted realistically; these elements were designed to accommodate accessories, wigs, and rich fabric cloaks, thereby blurring the boundary between wood and living flesh. Far from being evidence of an unfinished piece, this “candelero”-style structure served a specific liturgical and theatrical function in the context of the Counter-Reformation: it allowed the effigy’s attire to be changed according to the liturgical calendar or religious holidays, while significantly reducing the sculpture’s weight to facilitate its transport during processions. Stripped of its solemn garments, the sculpture reveals its true nature as a theatrical object—a silent witness to an era that made illusion, the sumptuousness of fabrics, and the appeal to the senses the most powerful instruments of popular devotion.

- Provenance: Private collection in Madrid
- Dimensions: 105 x 19 x 21 cm
- In fair condition, with a rough and aged appearance.