A related painting, also notable for its detailed portraits of musicians, now hangs in the modern village church at nearby San Andrés Ziracuaretiro, "the place where the warmth ends and the cold starts."
Like the Jarácuaro canvas, it is divided into three tiers. The lowest tier is the most dramatic, showing agonized souls in Purgatory and the dark underworld, some trapped in a cage—a striking touch.
As at Jarácuaro too, Christ Crucified dominates the crowded middle tier flanked by joyful hosts of the Elect and the Redeemed, with several noted saints and martyrs including saints Barbara and Catherine.
St. Catherine with her wheel, and St. Barbara with her tower.
Again, the Holy Trinity presides over the lively top tier, above a group of angelic musicians playing a variety of period instruments including a harp, bass guitar, horn, flute and once more a table organ.
Souls in Hell suffer torments inflicted by hideous demons and, as at Jarácuaro, a guitar playing devil seems to mock the sufferers.
St. Catherine with her wheel, and St. Barbara with her tower.
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| A horned figure (Moses?) lays his hand on the arm of the harpist (King David?) |
Dated 1830 by a partial inscription, the similarity of this remarkable painting to that at Jarácuaro strongly suggests a work by the same artist(s). It merits restoration to conserve its fine artistic quality as well as its intriguing details.
text © 2018 Richard D. Perry
color images courtesy of Robert Starner
Our thanks to Robert Starner, distinguished scholar of the pictorial representation of music, musicians and instruments in Mexican colonial art, for bringing this painting to our attention and providing the images on this page.
Please review our other posts with mention of the Last Judgment: El Llanito; Totimehuacan; Suchixtlahuaca; Huaquechula; Yanhuitlan; Xoxoteco; Actopan; Cuitzeo; Ixmiquilpan; Jarácuaro;
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