Santos in Oaxaca's Ancient Churches

A study of santos in 16th-century and other churches in Oaxaca, Mexico


By Claire and Richard Stracke
Funded by a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation.

In San Juan Guelavia:

Christ fallen with the Cross
Christ in the pretorium
Crucifix
Our Lady of Mount Carmel
St. Nicholas Factor
Unidentified saint
Virgin and Child
Virgin Mary (1)
Virgin Mary (2)

Other santos not photographed

Christ Seated in the Pretorium ("Pensive Christ")

Christ Seated in the Pretorium

Local Name: El Dios de la Peña

Basis for Identification: Seated in purple robe, with blood running down the face and legs from the crown of thorns (basketweave pattern), white trousers edged in lace, lasso around the neck with a figure-8 knot, holding face with right hand, no sceptre.

Other characteristics: Long, curly hair. Sunburst halo.

Site: Church of San Juan Guelavia.

Location: North wall of the nave (see note).

Comparable santos in Oaxaca: Ejutla, Etla, Tamazulapan, Teitipac1, Teitipac2, Teposcolula, Tilantongo, Tlacolula, Yanhuitlán.

External Links:
The episode of the scourging and mockery of Jesus in the pretorium is in Mark 15:16-20.
Wikimedia Commons: Statues of the Man of Sorrows
.

Next: In the north transept, a statue of Christ fallen with the cross

Previous santo

Introduction to San Juan Guelavia

Santos Home Page

Note: On this site, references to the cardinal directions always assume that the main altar is at the east end of the church, the narthex or entry area at the west end, and the two walls of the nave on the north and south. (The nave is the long central section.) Actual orientations may differ.

The photo shown here is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. You are free to share or remix it on two conditions: first, that you attribute it to the photographers, Claire and Richard Stracke, without implying any approval of your work on their part; second, that if you alter, transform, or build upon this photo, you may distribute the resulting work only under the same or similar license to this one.