Attributed to Juan de Mesa y Velasco

Attributed to JUAN DE MESA Y VELASCO (Córdoba, 1583-Sevilla,1627).
"Infant Jesus as Salvator Mundi".
Carved and polychrome wood.
Measurements: 79 x 32 x 28 cm.
This carved and polychrome wood sculpture represents the Baby Jesus in a delicate and elegant pose, standing on a richly decorated golden cushion, with baroque ornamental elements that include tassels and scrolls. The child's face conveys a tender and reflective expression, characteristic of the sensitivity of the religious works of Baroque Spain. In his left hand he holds a golden orb, symbol of his royalty and dominion over the world, while with his right hand he seems to make a gesture of blessing or signaling. Above his head are golden rays that suggest his divinity.
The attribution to the sculptor Juan de Mesa, one of the great masters of Sevillian baroque, is consistent with the delicacy and detail present in the sculpture. Works such as the Cristo del Amor (1620) or the Cristo de la Buena Muerte demonstrate his ability to capture the emotional and spiritual dimension of religious themes. In these pieces, although the subject matter is different, a similar search for naturalism and expressive depth can be perceived. Although his best known images are usually crucifixes, this representation of the Child Jesus shares the same technical mastery in polychromy and anatomy, as well as a focus on details that bring humanity and closeness to the divine. The Sevillian environment, the sixteenth century and early seventeenth century was a time of enormous economic boom and, therefore, also artistic, and it was in 1606 when he took up residence in this city Juan de Mesa and entered the workshop of the then already famous sculptor Juan Martínez Montañés, with whom he signed a four-year apprenticeship contract. In 1615 he had his own workshop in the colación de San Martín. The documented work of Juan de Mesa as an independent sculptor also began in 1615 with the sculpture of St. Joseph with Child, a work agreed upon with Friar Alonso de la Concepción. The work of Juan de Mesa seems to be dedicated almost exclusively to the images that procession during Holy Week. The realism of his work responds to a process in which he made studies and observations of real living and dead human figures, which allowed him to learn to capture these anatomies in his works in a realistic way, with a sensitivity that brings him closer to the Castilian imagery, more given to dramatism. For this reason, many of his sculptures were attributed to his master, Martínez Montañés.
Juan de Mesa was a crucial artist in the development of Andalusian Baroque sculpture, taking drama and expressiveness to a higher level. His work profoundly influenced contemporary and later sculptors, and his pieces remain benchmarks of sacred art. This attributed work reflects not only the artist's technical quality, but also his ability to communicate complex theological concepts through images charged with emotion and symbolism.