San Juan Metepec: the convento murals

The mission of San Juan Bautista Metepec, like nearby Zinacantepec was founded here by Franciscans from Toluca as early as 1532.  Although the present church is much later, with an elaborate painted facade in Pueblan baroque style, the convento dates from the 1560s. 

Recently restored, the whitewashed two-story cloister is framed by low arcades with flattened arches and sturdy Doric columns.  

The Murals
Framed by painted arcades with ornate baluster columns and upper friezes, several large narrative murals have survived in the upper cloister. Mostly partially restored, although some remain incomplete, they depict often portrayed saints and martyrs that include St. Peter, St. Lawrence, St. Sebastian as well as the less common St. Helen.
   Painted predominantly in the customary warm charcoal tones, these 16th century frescoes include a variety of detail, despite the erasure of some background painting.

Framed by an ogival arch and Plateresque pilasters, this portrait of St. Peter, holding his keys, includes scenes from his life including the angel visiting him in prison and his crucifixion upside down, set in a view of the local landscape.

The angel visits St Peter in prison

The  portrait of St Helen is less elaborately framed, although song scrolls appear in the  spandrels of the archway. Details include the finding of the Holy Cross, painted in red, and two birds—a buzzard and a red dove posed in the wooded landscape behind.

The finding of the Holy Cross (detail)

 

Also framed by a fanciful scalloped archway, the martyr St. Sebastian is shown in his classic pose:  bound almost naked to a tree and transfixed by arrows, here flanked by animated bowmen.

Another early martyr, the Spanish born saint St. Lawrence, stands on a pedestal holding a grill, the traditional instrument of his martyrdom, details of which are shown in the background.

Elsewhere in the convento, the beamed former refectory displays friezes with Franciscan insignia.

text © 2019 Richard D. Perry

color images courtesy of Niccolo Brooker