Pedro de Mena
A New Pair Of Busts Ecce Homo and Dolorosa, 17th century
Partially-gilt polychrome wood
Ecce Homo: 31 x 24 x 15 cm
Dolorosa: 31 x 24 x 15 cm
Dolorosa: 31 x 24 x 15 cm
The present Immaculate Conception, as well as the version in Tordesillas, are two examples from the same period in which Mena developed an idea to glorify the Virgin as the Queen of Heaven. In these pieces, he represented her with an upright head and an imperturbable glance that gives her a sense of majesty. The Virgin's hands are shifted slightly from the central axis, just as in Cano's model. It is also comparable to the version in Pueblo de Moros (1676), particularly in the treatment of the globe, but judging from the style of carving which is visible in surviving archival photographs, it appears to have been carved after the present figure.
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