991 - ALONSO CANO (Granada, 1601–1667) - The Child Jesus with Attributes of the Passion (c. 1650)

ALONSO CANO (Granada, 1601–1667) - The Child Jesus with Attributes of the Passion (c. 1650) Oil on canvas. Dimensions: 70 x 56 cm (without frame), 80 x 65 cm (with frame). We would like to thank Mr. Enrique Valdivieso González for his assistance in cataloging this work. The work depicts the Child Jesus with attributes of the Passion; based on its stylistic characteristics, it can be attributed as an original by Alonso Cano, painted in Madrid around 1650. In this painting, Cano uses a child model who stands out for his physical expressiveness—a recurring feature in his work that he employed on multiple occasions throughout his artistic career. As for the iconography of the painting, it can be noted that the Infant Jesus is depicted as the Savior of the world, carrying a sphere crowned by a cross located to the left of his figure. In addition, the work includes various symbols related to his Passion, death, and resurrection: on the ground, one can see the scourge with which he was whipped, the rope with which he was dragged to Calvary, the three nails that held him to the cross, the sign bearing the inscription “INRI” placed atop the cross, and the spear that pierced his side. The reference to his resurrection is evident in the skull that the Child steps on, symbolizing his triumph over death. The technique of loose, scrubbed brushstrokes used in this work is characteristic of Cano’s style in the mid-17th century. The artist employed this technique to create numerous images of children, similar to the one depicted on this canvas. Comparable examples can be found in depictions of the Virgin and Child, such as the painting housed in the Cathedral of Seville and another in the collegiate church of San Antolín, in Medina del Campo. (Text taken from Mr. Valdivieso’s document)