Attributed to José De Mora

Attributed to JOSÉ DE MORA (Baza, 1642 - Granada, 1724).
"Cardinal Cisneros".
Polychrome carved wood.
Attached report by Don José Carlos Perez.
Presents restorations.
Measurements: 64 x 27 x 19 cm.
In the study of Don José Carlos Perez on the work, he points out "The attire that we observe is identifiable of the high ecclesiastical dignity that it possesses, that of cardinal, the highest honorary title that can be granted by the Pope. In this case it is the coral habit, which is composed of cassock, muceta and coral cape, all in red, plus the white surplice. On his head we can see the skullcap, also in red, a silk skullcap used by bishops and cardinals who only take it off in the presence of the Pope as a symbol of respect.
The overall composition is graceful and airy, not having exclusively a frontal point of view but to be appreciated from different perspectives. The position of arms and hands to hold the slender cross together with the turn of the head to be able to contemplate it and reflect on the transcendence of the Passion, accentuate the dynamism, which is also emphasized thanks to the advancement of the right leg that leaves the left one behind and markedly bent with the delightful detail of the subtle support of the tip of the shoe. The attire is worked on the basis of large planes, in some cases angular, which give the piece great volume and depth and whose textiles even seem to be "moved" by a non-existent wind that causes the cardinal to pick up part of his coral cloak with his left hand. We have no proof that this attribute is the original or a later addition. Looking at the face, his features indicate a restrained emotion. His expression seems absent while he contemplates the cross: low gaze with a slight arching of the eyebrows, long and straight nose together with a closed mouth that prevent us from immersing ourselves in his thoughts, making the work an expressively hermetic representation. The proposed iconographic identification is that of Don Gonzalo (later Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros, better known as Cardinal Cisneros. Confessor and advisor to Queen Isabella the Catholic, we can highlight, within his cultural mission, the foundation of the Cisnerian University in Alcalá de Henares. The characteristics of the piece offer a determined and identifying aesthetic of some personal and concrete forms that refer us to the Granada school of sculpture, within which, it can be attributed to José de Mora. It is precisely the face where the sentimental focus of the figure is concentrated. We have to trace references in the work of José de Mora, specifically those where he poses a low and submissive gaze, in contrast to the supplicant ones that rise towards the sky. In this context, the example of the Dolorosa of the National Museum of Sculpture of Valladolid is useful".