Cross: Viceroyalty, New Granada, 18th century.

Cross: Viceroyalty, New Granada, XVIII century.
Carved and polychrome wood.
Measurements: 42 x 26 x 8 cm.
Carved and polychrome cross from the Viceroyalty of New Granada and dated in the 18th century is a remarkable example of the devotional sculpture produced in the Spanish-American colonial period. Made of carved wood and enriched with polychrome, the piece reflects the close relationship between the European sculptural tradition and the formal adaptations developed in the local workshops of the New Granada territory, where baroque models were reinterpreted through their own decorative languages and a characteristic material sensibility. From the stylistic point of view, the work presents an ornamental character typical of the colonial baroque, moving away from the simplicity of the traditional Latin cross. Its fluted arms with bulbous finials generate a dynamic visual rhythm, while the carved vegetal elements and painted geometric motifs enrich its decorative dimension. The turned top cap reinforces the verticality of the composition and adds an almost heraldic nuance.
These features suggest the intervention of a workshop specialized in religious imagery, probably linked to the urban artistic circuits of the Viceroyalty of New Granada, where the production of devotional objects occupied a central place in the visual culture of the period. In these contexts, artisans, often trained in mixed traditions that combined indigenous, European and local heritages, developed a sculptural language that, without abandoning imported models, acquired its own characteristics.