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 Pablo Mitla:

Calvary group
Christ: Ecce Homo
Christ in a coffin

Christ resurrected
Crucifix
Immaculate Heart of Mary
Our Lady of Sorrows
Our Lady of Sorrows (Soledad)
Our Lady of the Assumption (1)
Our Lady of the Assumption (2)
Palm Sunday Christ
St. Anthony of Padua
St. John the Baptist
St. Joseph (1)
St. Joseph (2)
St. Paul (1)
St. Paul (2)
St. Peter
Trinity
Unidentified saint

Other santos not photographed

Our Lady of Sorrows (Soledad)

Our Lady of Sorrows (Soledad):
The face is serene and very well executed, with a fine blush. The hands have little detail and their color is muddier than that of the face.

Local Name: Nuestra Señora de la Soledad.

Basis for Identification: Black robe and mantle with silver details, face fully enclosed by wimple and mantle, full crown.

Site: Church of San Pablo Huitzo.

Location: On a shelf in the south wall of the nave between the apse and the second rib (see note).

Media and construction: Wood, gesso, paint, fabric garments. Eyes: glass, with painted lashes. Closed mouth.

Size: About 5 feet (150 cm.)

Comparable santos in Oaxaca: Achiutla, Santa Ana del Valle, Coixtlahuaca, Cuilapan, Ejutla, Etla, HuitzoTeotitlán, Teposcolula1, Teposcolula2, Tilantongo, Xoxocotlán, Yanhuitlán, Zimatlán.

External Link:
Wikimedia Commons: Statues of Mater Dolorosa

Next: A statue of Our Lady of Sorrows farther back along the south wall.

Previous santo

Introduction to San Pablo Mitla

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. Actual orientations may differ. (The nave is the long central section; the apse is the area for the altar, at the east end of the nave, under a half-dome.)

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.