Virgin of Mount Carmel, XIX century. Carved and... Lot 50

Virgin of Mount Carmel, XIX century. Carved and polychrome wood. Silk and velvet vestments enriched with gold threads. Measurements: 60 x 25 x 26 cm. Spectacular Virgin of Carmen of the "Cap i Pota" typology (head and feet) made in the 19th century in carved and polychrome wood, dressed in silk and velvet enriched with gold threads. The precious earrings and the fineness of the scapulars are undoubtedly outstanding. The body is made entirely of wood, unlike others made of wire. Of great quality in the carving, the faces are sweet and calm in their expression. Dress images, or "cap i pota", are figures worked in detail only on the face and hands, on a wooden structure carved to a greater or lesser extent. These processional images were cheaper than fully carved ones, and were therefore common throughout Spain. The visible parts are covered with a thin layer of stucco and polychromed, while the rest is covered with royal robes. These images were particularly appreciated for their naturalism, as the fact that they were wearing authentic clothes gave them a greater degree of realism than those that were simply carved, which were often not of sufficient quality to achieve the degree of naturalism so sought after in religious art from the Baroque period onwards. Some of these "cap i pota", such as the one shown here, were made articulated, so that they could be repositioned and dressed more easily.