작품 상세

Novohispanic School. 18th century. 'Portrait of a nobleman' Oil on canvas laid down on cardboard. 80 x 63 cm. Our author, with great skill and detail, presents us with a surprising and psychological portrait of a “principal” priest dressed in white, facing us, with a penetrating, almost scrutinizing gaze, but an unknown figure. And we begin by breaking down each word of our title. “Priest”: the only ecclesiastical distinction that supports our assertion is his “black skullcap.” He does not wear a pectoral cross or pendant cross, nor do we see him wearing a cassock. Yes, a priest can wear a black skullcap. It is the color corresponding to his rank, while purple is for bishops, red for cardinals, and white for the Pope. It is part of his traditional clerical attire, although its use has declined since the Second Vatican Council. The black skullcap (or zucchetto) represents his priestly commitment and ministry. It can be worn with the cassock as part of ecclesiastical attire, both inside and outside liturgical celebrations, and is more common in everyday life or with the habit piano (formal attire for solemn occasions). “Un N. N.”: (“Nomen nescio,” “of unknown name”), Latin initials used to refer to someone who is indeterminate or without a specific identity, since we do not know their real name, as the author of the work omitted a family coat of arms, a dated and named letter in his hand, or a lower skirt where he could tell us the identity of the character looking at us. “Mission Land.” We are surprised to see him in public and to be portrayed “dressed in white,” a color usually reserved for the Supreme Pontiff. But there are two exceptions that allow clergy to wear white on a daily basis: being in “Mission Land” and being in very hot tropical areas, where the color white helps to withstand the heat.   In both cases, the only rule for showing respect to the Pope is that clergymen accompany the white cassock with the details of the color attributed to their rank (the black skullcap), with total white being reserved for the Successor of St. Peter. The painter details that it is a white, almost transparent fabric, thread or linen, a cassock with a travel cape, brocade sash and buttons, lace on the Roman collar, gloves, and a brimmed hat under the arm, worn by the Catholic clergy. “Main.” Self-portraits of priests and religious figures in colonial America (16th-18th centuries) were not a common practice of personal vanity, but rather a fundamental artistic and theological tool for consolidating their authority in the dioceses, thus reflecting their political and religious power. In short, these are portraits with atypical characteristics, but they help us to understand a little more -with surprise- the liturgical and specific details of the Catholic Church, and not to jump to conclusions that they are the personal licenses of the painter or the particular tastes of the subject. Colonial Spanish America.