Guatemalan school, colonial period, 17th century.

Guatemalan School, colonial period, 17th century.
“Christ on the Cross.”
Carved wood, with traces of polychrome paint.
Acquired in Guatemala in 1963.
Provenance: bequest of Eudald Serra (Barcelona, 1911–2002).
It shows loss of polychromy and damage to the hands consistent with its age.
Measurements: 54 x 54 x 6 cm.

The sculpture is part of the important tradition of polychrome wood sculpture developed in Guatemala during the colonial era, a tradition closely linked in its origins to Spanish models. Christ figures, along with the Virgin Mary, saints, and Nativity scenes, constituted one of the major themes of Guatemalan workshops.

This example retains a particularly austere style. The body is constructed with elongated proportions and a schematic yet expressive anatomy: the ribs are clearly defined, the abdomen tapers sharply, and the legs extend downward almost parallel, while the bowed head concentrates the emotional weight of the image. In contrast to the greater dynamism, richness of polychromy, and precious detail that would characterize much of the mature Guatemalan Baroque, here frontal composition, restrained gestures, and a direct carving style prevail, creating a powerful devotional presence. The tradition of the Crucified Christ itself held early importance in Guatemala, with such significant examples as the Cristo de Esquipulas, created by Quirio Cataño in 1594, a model that was widely replicated later on.

The piece is also particularly significant because it comes from the estate of Eudald Serra, a sculptor and traveler closely associated with the formation of Barcelona’s ethnographic collections. Its acquisition in Guatemala in 1963 provides early evidence of its presence in this collection and reinforces the carving’s historical significance.