| Saint Isidore the
Laborer
The boots and the lower part of the tunic are
heavily encrusted with wax that has dripped from the
candles used by parishioners to make the sign of the
cross first over the saint and then over an afflicted
companion. This devotional expression was observed
during our visit.
Local Name: San Isidro Labrador
Basis for Identification: Team
of oxen, belted knee-length tunic, trousers, boots, hat.
Site: Church of Santo
Domingo Ocotlán.
Location: West
wall of the chapel in the north wall of the narthex
(see note).
Media and construction: Repainted
wood and gesso.
Size: About 3 feet (90 cm.)
Comparable santos in Oaxaca: Coixtlahuaca,
Huitzo, Tamazulapan,
Teitipac,
Teposcolula.
External Links:
Wikimedia Commons:
Statues
of
Saint Isidore the Laborer in Mexico
Catholic Encyclopedia: St.
Isidore the Labourer
Wikipedia: Isidore
the
Laborer
Christian Iconography: Saint
Isidore
the Laborer
Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Local Name: An
inscription is cut into the glass of the case: "Ntra
Señora del Carmen Ocotlan Oax."
Basis for Identification: Brown
robe, Christ child, scapulars, vertical halo.
Other characteristics: A
1½ foot (46 cm.) crucifix is at the feet of the
statue.
Site: Church of Santo
Domingo Ocotlán.
Location: On an
altar in the chapel off the north wall of the narthex
(see note).
Media and construction: Wood,
gesso, paint, stiffened cloth.
Size: About 5¼ feet (160 cm.).
Comparable santos in Oaxaca: Coixtlahuaca
main altar, Cuilapan, Ejutla, Etla, Guelavia, Huitzo, Teitipac, Teposcolula,
Tlaxiaco,
Xoxocotlán,
Zaachila,
Zimatlán.
External Links:
Wikimedia Commons:
Statues
of
Nuestra Señora del Carmen in Mexico
Wikipedia: Our
Lady of Mount Carmel, Virgen
del Carmen (in
Spanish).
Christian Iconography: Our
Lady of Mount Carmel
St. Thomas the Apostle?
The garments seem to have been repainted long ago, in
dull purple and gold. The crude cedar pedestal is
recent.
Basis for Identification: Carpenter's
square. It is conventional in European
iconography to show St. Thomas with a carpenter's
square. But at Ejutla and elsewhere in Oaxaca one finds
the carpenter's square with statues of St. Jude
Thaddeus, normally in conjunction with a book and often
with other tools.
Site: Church of Santo
Domingo Ocotlán.
Location: Left of
the Carmen altar in the chapel off the north wall of the
narthex (see
note).
Media and construction: Wood,
gesso, paint, stiffened cloth. Eyes: glass, with lashes.
Size: About 4 feet (120 cm.)
Unidentified Female Saint
No emblems or symbols to identify this statue.
The face has heavily shadowed lids, the
shadowing ribbed as if to suggest lashes. The thumbs
have been lost, and the fingers of the right hand
are broken. The lower part of the robe is
deteriorating. There is less detail to the face and
hands than is the case with the St. Thomas at the
other side of the altar.
Site: Church of Santo
Domingo Ocotlán.
Media and construction: Wood,
gesso, paint, stiffened cloth. Eyes: glass.
Size: About 4 feet (120 cm.)
Unidentified Monk
A wooden staff with a knob at the top is
fastened to the left hand by a white ribbon. The hands
are realistically done, with wrist veins and
fingernails, but the face is not well detailed. The
right arm is simply a wooden cylinder, painted black,
to which the hand and wrist have been affixed.
Basis for Identification: Black
habit with broad gold collar, gold cincture, biretta,
wooden crucifix in right hand.
Site: Church of Santo
Domingo Ocotlán.
Location: In a glass
case left of the retablo of the major altar in the first
bay of the north wall of the nave
(see note).
Media and construction: Glass
eyes, with lashes.
Size: About 3 feet (90 cm.)
Unidentified Female Saint
The garments have been repainted, but not the
hands, feet, and face, which retain a fine sheen. The
hands have deteriorated somewhat.
Basis for Identification: A
flaming torch in the right hand, a closed book with a
cross on the cover crooked in the left arm, a jug
hanging from the left wrist. In European iconography St.
Lucy is sometimes shown with a flaming torch, but if
this statue were of her we would expect a martyr's palm,
and her most common attribute is a plate holding two
eyes.
Site: Church of Santo
Domingo Ocotlán.
Location: In a
glass case on a cabinet to the left of the major altar
in the first bay of the north wall of the nave
(see note).
Media and construction: Wood, gesso, paint,
stiffened cloth. Eyes: glass, with lashes.
"San Lazaro"
Basis for Identification: Identified
as "San Lazaro" by a parishioner, this statue looks just
like representations of St. Roch in other parts of the
world: A staff with a crook in the right hand, a ragged
tunic, ulcers on the legs, and a black dog at the feet.
One of Jesus' parables regards a poor man named Lazarus
who was "full of sores" (Luke 16:20),
but he was only a fictional character, not a saint.
There is a "St. Lazarus," the man whom Jesus raised from
the dead and who legend said went on mission to France
after the Ascension. But he is never shown with ulcers
or in rags.
Other characteristics: The sculpted
tunic is "torn," revealing the ulcers in and above the
knees; more ulcers appear on the calves. The sandal
thongs are painted onto the legs. The dog has
individually sculpted teeth set into an open mouth. Some
paint has chipped away from the dog.
Site: Church of Santo
Domingo Ocotlán.
Location: Small
altar to right of the major altar of the second bay in
the north wall of the nave (see note).
Media and construction: Wood,
gesso, paint. Eyes: glass, no lashes.
Size: About 3½
feet (105 cm.)
External Link:
Christian Iconography: Saint
Roch
Virgin Mary in a Coffin
The hands are tied together by one of the
ribbons of the nosegay the figure is holding. The
hands and face lack detail, but the feet have
realistic toes. The sandals are part of the carving.
Site: Church of Santo
Domingo Ocotlán.
Location: On the
major altar of the second bay in the north wall of the
nave (see
note).
Media and construction: Wood,
gesso, paint, fabric garments. Eyes: glass, with lashes.
Size: About 4½
feet (135 cm.)
Comparable santos in Oaxaca: Ejutla, Coixtlahuaca,
Teposcolula.
Sacred Heart
The hands are fairly well detailed, with
tendons, veins, and realistic fingernails. The robe,
cloak, and cincture are white. The heart is of recent
manufacture.
Basis for Identification: Flaming
heart on the chest, cruciform halo.
Site: Church of Santo
Domingo Ocotlán.
Location: Above
the coffin on the major altar of the second bay in the
north wall of the nave (see note).
Media and construction: Wood,
gesso, paint, fabric garments.
Eyes: glass, with lashes. Hair: wig.
Size: About 6 feet (183 cm.)
Comparable santos in Oaxaca: Achiutla,
Cuilapan,
Huitzo, Tamazulapan,
Teposcolula,
Yanhuitlán, Zimatlán.
External Links:
Wikimedia Commons:
Statues
of Sacred Heart of Jesus in Mexico
Catholic Encyclopedia: Devotion
to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Wikipedia: Sacred
Heart
Virgin Mary
The hands and face are realistically but
reticently detailed. The crucifix is of recent
manufacture. The bib hangs from the collarbone to
mid-calf and is fringed with jet or black glass.
Basis for Identification: Black
robe, black bib, black mantilla,
sunburst halo.
Other characteristics: A flaming
cross at the breast, a small crucifix standing at the
feet.
Site: Church of Santo
Domingo Ocotlán.
Location: In a glass
case along the north wall of the nave between the north
chapel and the apse (see note).
Media and construction: Wood,
gesso, paint, fabric garments, metal
cross (brass?). Eyes: glass, with
lashes. Hair: wig.
Size: About 5½
feet (165 cm.)
Comparable santos in Oaxaca: Achiutla,
Etla1 (in the
Soledad group) Etla2, Guelavia1,
Guelavia2,
Nochixtlán,
Ocotlán, Teotitlán, Teotitlán2, Tilantongo1,
Tilantongo2,
Yanhuitlán1, Yanhuitlán2, Zimatlán.
External Links:
Wikimedia Commons:
Statues
of
Virgin Mary in Mexico.
Our
Lady of the Rosary
Undistinguished. The expression of the face
seems typical of more recent times.
Local Name: La Virgen del Rosario
Basis for Identification: Holding
the Christ Child in the left arm, rosary draped between
the two extended hands.
Site: Church of Santo
Domingo Ocotlán.
Location: In a glass
case atop an altar in the north wall of the apse
(see note).
Media and construction: Wood,
gesso, paint, fabric garments.
Size: About 5½
feet (165 cm.)
Comparable santos in Oaxaca: Achiutla,
Coixtlahuaca,
Cuilapan,
Teitipac1,
Teitipac2,
Teotitlán, Teposcolula,
Xoxocotlán.
External Links:
Wikimedia Commons:
Statues
of
Our Lady of the Rosary in Mexico
Wikipedia: Our
Lady of the Rosary
Christian Iconography: Our
Lady
of the Rosary
Trinity: Throne of Mercy +
Pietà
The Father has a triangular halo and does not
wear the usual triple crown. All but two of the teeth
set into the mouth have now been lost. The right hand
is raised as in benediction and the open left hand
supports the Son's left elbow. The Son is shown
proportionately smaller than the Father; the eyeballs
roll up under half-closed lids, and the head tilts
toward the Father. The Son's body is not highly
detailed.
The work has been repainted in flat, bold colors. The
simple throne is carved wood.
Basis for Identification: Enthroned
Father with dove on chest and Son draped between the
knees as in death.
Site: Church of Santo
Domingo Ocotlán.
Location: In a glass-fronted
niche in the stone of the south wall of the anteroom
just north of the apse (see note).
Media and construction: Wood,
gesso, paint. Eyes: glass. Hair: sculpted. Sculpted
teeth for both Father and Son.
Size: The Father's
height is about 4 feet (120 cm.)
Comparable santos in Oaxaca: We did
not see any other santos that combined the usual "Throne
of Mercy" iconography with the "Pietà"
arrangement of the dead Christ in the arms of (normally)
his mother. For "Throne of Mercy" santos, see Diaz Ordaz,
Mitla, Tamazulapan,
Teitipac,
Teotitlán,
Tlacolula,
Xoxocotlán,
Yanhuitlán.
External Links:
Wikimedia Commons:
Throne
of Mercy in Mexico
Catholic
Encyclopedia: The
Blessed Trinity
Wikipedia: Trinity
Christian Iconography: The
Trinity
Crucifix
Long, narrow face with slanted eyes and sunken
cheeks. The ribs are suggested rather than clearly
outlined and the bruises are barely visible on the
legs. Wood can be seen under the gesso at the toes.
Local Name: El Señor de la
Misericordia.
Site: Church of Santo
Domingo Ocotlán.
Location: East
wall of the anteroom just north of the apse
(see note).
Media and construction: Wood,
gesso, paint, stiffened fabric loincloth under
embroidered fabric apron. Hair: sculpted.
Size: Life size.
Comparable santos in Oaxaca: Achiutla,
Santa Ana del
Valle1, Santa
Ana del Valle2, Santa Ana del
Valle3, Cuilapan,
Etla, Guelavia,
Mitla, Nochixtlán,
Tamazulapan1,
Tamazulapan2,
Teitipac1,
Teitipac2,
Teitipac3,
Teotitlán1,
Teotitlán2, Teposcolula1,
Teposcolula2,
Teposcolula3
(in Rosary case), Teposcolula
Convento1, Teposcolula
Convento2, Tilantongo1,
Tilantongo2,
Tlacolula,
Xoxocotlán1, Xoxocotlán2, Xoxocotlán3, Xoxocotlán4, Yanhuitlán1, Yanhuitlán2, Yanhuitlán
Convento1, Yanhuitlán
Convento2, Yanhuitlán
Convento3, Yanhuitlán
Convento4, Yanhuitlán
Convento5, Yanhuitlán Ayuxi Chapel, Zimatlán.
External Links:
Wikimedia Commons:
Crucifixes
in
Mexico
Catholic Encyclopedia: Archaeology
of the Cross and Crucifix
Wikipedia: Crucifix
Christian Iconography: The
Crucifixion
St. Rose of Lima
Basis for Identification: Dominican
habit with rosary, crown of roses, halo.
Site: Church of Santo
Domingo Ocotlán.
Location: Left end
of the main altar.
Media and construction: Frame
and fabric. Face and hands are wood/gesso/paint. Silver
halo.
Size: About 5 feet (150 cm.)
Comparable santos in Oaxaca: Achiutla.
St.
Thomas Aquinas
Basis for Identification: Dominican habit with rosary,
halo, quill pen in right hand, open book in left.
Site: Church of Santo
Domingo Ocotlán.
Location: Second
from the left of the five santos on the main
altar.
Media and construction: Frame
and fabric. Face and hands are wood/gesso/paint. Silver
halo.
Size: About 5 feet (165 cm.)
Comparable santos in Oaxaca: Etla.
External Links:
Wikimedia Commons: Statues
of Thomas Aquinas
Catholic Encyclopedia: St.
Thomas Aquinas
Wikipedia: Thomas
Aquinas
Christian Iconography: Saint
Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church
St. Peter the Apostle
Local Name: San Pedro
Apóstol.
Basis for Identification: Keys,
staff topped by triple cross, triple crown.
Site: Church of Santo
Domingo Ocotlán.
Size: About 5½
feet (165 cm.)
Comparable santos in Oaxaca: Coixtlahuaca,
Etla, Huitzo, Mitla, Díaz
Ordaz,
Tamazulapan, Teitipac1,
Teitipac2,
Teotitlán1,
Teotitlán2, Teposcolula1,
Teposcolula2, Yanhuitlán.
External Links:
Wikimedia Commons:
Statues
of St. Peter in Mexico
Catholic Encyclopedia: St.
Peter, Prince of the Apostles
Wikipedia: Saint
Peter
Christian Iconography: Saint
Peter the Apostle
Saint Anthony of Padua
The figure holds a lily. The hands are highly
detailed. Under the repainting one can see the gesso
and cloth.
Local Name: San Antonio de Padua.
Basis for Identification: Franciscan
habit, child on book in left hand.
Site: Church of Santo
Domingo Ocotlán.
Location: South
wall of the nave (see
note).
Media and construction: Repainted
polychrome.
Comparable santos in Oaxaca: Coixtlahuaca,
Etla, Huitzo, Mitla, Tamazulapan,
Teitipac,
Teposcolula, Tlacolula.
External Links:
Wikimedia Commons: Statues
of
Saint Anthony of Padua in México
Catholic Encyclopedia: St.
Anthony of Padua
Wikipedia: Anthony
of Padua
Christian Iconography: Saint
Anthony
of Padua
Our Lady of Sorrows
(Soledad)
Location: South wall of the nave.
Saint Peter?
The hands and head are a different
color from the feet, which look older.
Basis for
Identification: Triple crown.
Site: Church of Santo
Domingo Ocotlán.
Location: South
wall of the nave (see note).
Media and construction: Wood,
gesso, paint, fabric garments, paper crown.
Size: Life size.
Comparable santos of St. Peter in
Oaxaca: Coixtlahuaca,
Etla, Huitzo, Mitla, Díaz
Ordaz,
Tamazulapan, Teitipac1,
Teitipac2,
Teotitlán1,
Teotitlán2, Teposcolula1,
Teposcolula2, Yanhuitlán.
External Links (St. Peter):
Wikimedia Commons:
Statues
of St. Peter in Mexico
Catholic Encyclopedia: St.
Peter, Prince of the Apostles
Wikipedia: Saint
Peter
Christian Iconography: Saint
Peter the Apostle
Immaculate Heart of Mary
Local Name: Corazón de
María.
Basis for Identification: A heart is
pinned to the robe, which is white.
The hands are extended forward with the palms open.
Site: Church of Santo
Domingo Ocotlán.
Location: South
wall of the nave (see note).
Media and construction: Wood,
gesso, paint, metal heart.
Eyes: glass, with lashes. Hair: wig.
Size: Life size.
Comparable santos in Oaxaca: Cuilapan,
Huitzo, Mitla Teitipac,
Teposcolula,
Zaachila,
Zimatlán.
External Links:
Wikimedia Commons:
Immaculate
Heart of Mary
Catholic Encyclopedia: Devotion
to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Wikipedia: Immaculate
Heart of Mary
Christ Seated in the
Pretorium ("Pensive Christ")
The work is realistic especially in its
detailing of the backs of the hands, the ribs, and the
nipples. There is much streaming blood but there are
no visible ulcers. Parishioners were observed rubbing
the glass with chrysanthemums and then rubbing the
chrysanthemums onto companions or taking them home.
Local Name: El Dios de la
Peña.
Basis for Identification: Seated
with naked to the waist, purple cape, crown combining
crown of thorns and cruciform halo, palm in left hand,
head leaning on the
right hand.
Site: Church of Santo
Domingo Ocotlán.
Location: In a glass
case on the small altar in the south wall of the narthex
(see note).
Media and construction: Wood,
gesso, paint, fabric cape, white cotton
trousers, metal crown/halo. Eyes:
glass, with lashes. Hair: wig
Size: Slightly
less than life size.
Comparable santos in Oaxaca: Ejutla, Etla, Guelavia,
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.
Previous santo
Introduction to Santo
Domingo Ocotlán
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.
Actual orientations may differ.
(The nave is the long central section. The apse is the
area covered by a half-dome at the east end of the
nave, where the main altar is located.)
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