Pietà
Who is the couple portrayed in this representation of the “Pietà”? discover this and other details of one of the Santa Clara’s paintings.
By Santa Clara Museum
Baltasar Vargas de Figueroa (attributed)
Pietà (Siglo XVII) by Baltasar Vargas de Figueroa (attributed)Santa Clara Museum
Pietà
In the iconography of the Passion and Death of Christ cycle, the scene of “Pietà” stands out. Characterized by its drama and emotional charge, in it, the Virgin holds the body of her dead son in front of the cross where he was martyred.
Pietà
In the upper part of the painting, two angels hold some of the characteristic elements of the Passion and Death: the column to which Christ was tied and the lashes with which he was scourged.
Pietà
At the bottom we see two figures apparently not related to the scene. These are the donors of the painting, who usually asked to be portrayed within the composition as a testimony of their devotion and socioeconomic status.
Pietà
It is very likely that the woman is María Arias de Ugarte, benefactress of the Santa Clara Convent. María was one of the most important women in New Granada, she was an encomendera and stood out for her role as a “collector” of all kinds of images.
Pietà
The male figure would correspond to Juan de Zapiain, María’s last husband, who was mayor of the city of Santafé. The donors were discovered in the restoration of the painting in 1983. Before this process, they appeared as Mary Magdalene and Saint John.
Pietà (Siglo XVII) by Baltasar Vargas de Figueroa (attributed)Santa Clara Museum
MUSEOS COLONIAL Y SANTA CLARA
Museum Director
María Constanza Toquica Clavijo
Museology
María Alejandra Malagón Quintero
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Anamaría Torres Rodríguez
María Isabel Téllez Colmenares
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Paula Ximena Guzmán López
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Tanit Barragán Montilla
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Jhonatan Chinchilla Pérez
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