411 - CAPISCARA CIRCLE. QUITO COLONIAL SCHOOL, ECUADOR, 18TH CENTURY - Triumphant Child Jesus

CAPISCARA CIRCLE. QUITO COLONIAL SCHOOL, ECUADOR, 18TH CENTURY - Triumphant Child Jesus Carved and polychromed wood sculpture with silver rays. Dimensions: 16 x 30 x 13 cm. The sculpture depicts the nude Christ Child in a triumphant and ascending pose, with his head slightly turned and one hand extended in a gesture of blessing. It retains high-quality polished flesh tones, glass eyes, and silver rays, characteristic elements of Hispanic American devotional imagery. The figure is displayed on a wooden base adapted for its exhibition. The delicacy of the anatomical modeling, the sweetness of the facial expression, the soft polychromy, and the refined treatment of the flesh tones are reminiscent of the sculptural tradition of the Quito School, one of the most important artistic centers of viceregal America. These characteristics allow us to relate the work to the production of the renowned workshop of Manuel Chili “Caspicara” (ca. 1723-1796), considered one of the greatest sculptors of colonial Hispanic American sculpture. The present image constitutes an interesting example of the survival of the Quito models during the 19th century, maintaining the sensitivity and technical virtuosity that made the Ecuadorian school famous.