Doubting Thomas

This composition revolves around the figure of the risen Christ; His gestures are both solemn and majestic at the same time and His painstakingly drawn naked torso is emphatically outlined by a light which appears to emerge from the skin. He is wearing a sheer, dense-red cloak which endows the composition with both chromatic and structural balance. Ranged in the shadows around Christ are the masterfully painted, grey-haired, wrinkle-lined heads of the disciples who witness the scene in which Thomas expresses his doubts, some amazed and others with pious looks. Saint Johns Cospel recounts that, after the Resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples in order to imbue them with the Holy Ghost. Thomas was not present at that moment, so his companions told him what had happened later. Thomas expressed disbelief, saying that he would not be convinced until he could put his fingers in the nail holes, and his hand in the wound, in Jesus' side. Eight days later, the Son of God appeared again to the apostles and invited Thomas to put his hand in the wound in His side, thus restoring his faith. In addition to the extraordinary Tenebrism which holds sway in the painting, note should be taken of the artist’s signature, which is proudly accompanied by a mention of his appointment as a notary of the Inquisitions Court of the Holy Office. In the XIXth century, according to Manuel Romero de Terreros, this painting was located in Saint Agustines Church in México City, directly in front of The Supper at Emmaus by Francisco de Zurbarán (1598- 1664). This work passed to the MUNAL from the San Diego Viceregal Painting Gallery in the year 2000.