School of Puerto Rico, possibly José Campeche, c. 1790.

School of Puerto Rico, possibly JOSÉ CAMPECHE (San Juan de Puerto Rico, 1751 - 1809); c. 1790.
"Infant Jesus of the thorn with child donor".
Oil on copper.
Measurements: 23.5 x 18.5 cm.
This work, attributed with great probability to José Campeche y Jordán, places the spectator in the heart of the most distinguished artistic production of the late viceregal Puerto Rico and of one of the most celebrated artists of the Americas of the XVIII century. Campeche, born and active in San Juan, was formed in a particularly fertile cultural environment: the son of an artificer and gilder, he received the first rudiments of painting from his own father and complemented his education at the Dominican Convent, where he studied not only Latin and philosophy, but also anatomy and artistic discipline. Later, the presence of the Spanish chamber painter Luis Paret y Alcázar, exiled on the island, intensified his understanding of the European rococo style and raised the technical quality of his work, which made him the most outstanding Puerto Rican painter of the late 18th century and a reference figure in American viceregal art.
The work Niño Jesús de la espina con niño donante is part of the Baroque devotional tradition, but it is distinguished by its intimate format, a delicate surface that allows for a precious and meticulous finish, and by the harmonious integration between the sacred and the human. The center of the composition is occupied by the figure of the Child Jesus, wearing the crown of thorns as an anticipated symbol of his Passion, radiating a luminous serenity that invites pious contemplation. The softness of the forms, the delicacy of the chromatic nuances and the grace of the surrounding angels evoke the rococo sensibility that Campeche assimilated from Paret, translated into a religious context deeply rooted in the island's piety.
At his feet or to one side, the child donor, a figure represented with a reverent gesture or in a prayerful attitude, introduces a personal and narratively specific dimension: not only is the divine represented, but also the link between the faithful and the sacramental presence of Christ the child. This inclusion of a donor, common in the visual practices of viceregal America, underscores the function of painting as a mediator between the celestial world and the individual experience of faith.
Stylistically, the work combines a soft palette, where pink and grayish tones are balanced by delicate reflections of light, with an orderly and serene composition, creating an effect that is both devotional and aesthetically refined.