Spanish school; 19th century

Spanish school; 19th century.
"Via Crucis".
Oil on canvas (x14).
Some of them show faults on the pictorial surface.
Measurements: 69 x 46 cm (x14); 82 x 60 cm (frames, x14).
A set made up of fourteen independent canvases which have been conceived as a whole as each one of them shows a different scene of the Way of the Cross of Christ. In this series, the complete Stations of the Cross, the author does a magnificent job of narration, taking care of the details that bring realism to the story, almost as a nod to Baroque classicism, although without deviating too much from the prevailing neoclassical style of the time. Thus, we see a style clearly indebted to the Baroque, as is common in religious works of the time, but which nevertheless reveals a different, modern, neoclassical-influenced taste. At the formal level, this is particularly evident in the predominance of drawing over colour, a basic principle of classicism. Moreover, it is an academic drawing, magnificently correct, rigorous and clean, which is complemented by a restrained and magnificently intoned chromaticism. In fact, in all the panels the palette revolves around the same tones, mainly carmine, blue, ochre and green, with greys and whites for the backgrounds. This tonal uniformity serves to visually unite the fourteen panels, thus bringing unity to the whole. Finally, it is worth noting the expressive importance of the faces, which reveal their emotions with the restraint typical of neoclassicism, moving the viewer's mood without the need to resort to the pathos more typical of the Baroque. This is due to the change of mentality, to the fact that the 19th century was a time of religiousness understood in a more intimate, more private way, far removed from the great dramatic scenes of previous centuries.
The "Via Crucis" or Way of the Cross refers to the different stages and moments experienced by Jesus Christ from the moment he was apprehended until his crucifixion and burial. Theologically, it is a path of prayer, which seeks to draw the faithful into meditation on Jesus on his way to Calvary.