Spanish school of the 20th century

Spanish school of the 20th century.
"Calvary".
Patinated terracotta.
Signed in the lower area.
Measurements: 30 x 22 x 5 cm.
Relief in terracotta representing a scene of Calvary or Crucifixion of Christ, one of the central themes of Western Christian art. The composition, of oval format, shows a remarkable dynamism and narrative density, articulating multiple figures in different depth planes.

In the central axis is the figure of the crucified Christ, slightly inclined to the right, with an elongated body and arms extended in a posture of anatomical tension. On the cross can be read the inscription INRI (Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum), according to iconographic tradition. On both sides of the Redeemer appear the two crucified thieves, represented in attitudes of pain and despair, which accentuates the contrast with the resigned serenity of Christ.

In the lower register, the figures of the mourners -probably the Virgin Mary, St. John the Evangelist and the holy women- are grouped in attitudes of lamentation and recollection. In the left sector, a Roman horseman can be distinguished who seems to observe or participate in the scene, a common element in the representations of Calvary that alludes to the imperial authority and the historical context of the execution. At the lower end, there are contorted bodies, possibly fallen soldiers or secondary characters, which bring a sense of drama and movement to the composition.

The relief presents an expressive and vigorous treatment of the modeling, with a marked contrast of light and shadow, typical of the baroque or its late mannerist influence. The figures are worked with remarkable anatomical detail and the surfaces reveal a skillful use of terracotta to suggest textures -such as the folds of the drapery, the horses' manes or the musculature in tension-. The arrangement in superimposed planes creates a sense of spatial depth, reinforced by the oval format that frames and concentrates the action.

Iconographically, the whole synthesizes the traditional elements of Golgotha, including the central cross, the evildoers, the mourners, the urban landscape of Jerusalem in the background and some accessory symbols (the ladder, the skulls at the foot of the cross, allusion to Adam's skull). All this responds to a theological program centered on Christ's redemptive sacrifice and the contemplation of his Passion.