Not currently on display at the V&A

Beata Mariana de Jesus

Statuette
late 18th century (made)
Artist/Maker
San Martin, Julian (after)
Place of origin
Madrid (made)

This painted terracotta statuette represents the beatified Mariana de Jesús (1564/5-1624), who lived and worked in Madrid, helping the poor of the city as a member of the Mercedarian Order. It is a reduced version of a life size polychromed wood statue of Beata Mariana, which is in the church of Santiago in Madrid; the face of that statue is based on a death mask. Many other representations were made of this holy woman during the second half of the eighteenth century, including a number of engravings.


Object details

Categories
Christianity
Sculpture
Portraits
Religion
Object type
Statuette
TitleBeata Mariana de Jesus (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Painted terracotta
Terracotta
Brief description
Statuette, painted terracotta, Beata Mariana de Jesus, after Julian San Martin, Spanish (Madrid), late 18th century
Physical description
Statuette in painted terracotta, depicting Beata Mariana de Jesus. The figure stands with outstretched arms with head is inclined to the left and down. She is clad in white robes with a cross and shield at the breast and sandals on the feet. The figure stands on a black base. The fingers of the right hand are missing while the thumb of the left hand is missing.
Dimensions
  • Height: 18in
  • Width: 25cm
  • Depth: 15cm
  • Weight: 5.80kg
Object history
Historical significance: The figure is a representation of a Mercedarian nun
Historical context
The head is based on her death mask, which is preserved in the Convent to which she belonged.
Subject depicted
De Jesus, Beata Mariana
Summary
This painted terracotta statuette represents the beatified Mariana de Jesús (1564/5-1624), who lived and worked in Madrid, helping the poor of the city as a member of the Mercedarian Order. It is a reduced version of a life size polychromed wood statue of Beata Mariana, which is in the church of Santiago in Madrid; the face of that statue is based on a death mask. Many other representations were made of this holy woman during the second half of the eighteenth century, including a number of engravings.
Bibliographic references
  • Riaño, J. F: Classified and Descriptive Catalogue of the Art Objects of Spanish Production in the South Kensington Museum, London, 1872, p. 3
  • Trusted, M: ,Spanish Sculpture. Catalogue of the Post-Medieval Spanish Sculpture in wood, Terracotta, Alabaster, Marble, Stone, Lead and Jet in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1996, pp. 75-76, Cat. No. 28
  • Inventory of Art Objects Acquired in the Year 1864 In: Inventory of the Objects in the Art Division of the Museum at South Kensington, Arranged According to the Dates of their Acquisition. Vol I. London: Printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., 1868, p. 70
  • Rivera, J.A. Sánchez. 'El Retablo Mayor de la Iglesia del Convento de Mercedarias de la Purísima Concepción en Madrid', Cuadernos de Arte e Icongrafía, Madrid, XIII, no. 25, 2004, p. 205
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
105-1864

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Record createdSeptember 6, 2004
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O103222/beata-mariana-de-jesus-statuette-san-martin-julian/
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