ATTRIBUTED TO MANUEL CHILI CALLED CASPICARA (C.1723-1796), ECUADOR, CIRCA 1770-75

The artist’s depiction of Christ in the present lot, at the moment of his crucifixion, forces the viewer to contemplate his extreme physical pain and suffering in addition to his inner psychological torment. Christ’s emaciated form and lolling head with eyes rolled back add to the sense of internal and external anguish. This work was likely to have been created as a devotional aid for a private owner and meditation on the piece was intended to bring the worshipper closer to God. The portrayal of religious figures in states of extreme emotion is characteristic of the artistic output of the Quito school, in particular the work of Manuel Chili, known as Caspicara, who is considered one of the school’s most accomplished exponents. A pupil of Bernardo de Legarda, Caspicara was exceptional at portraying the intricacies of human anatomy combined with the influence of Baroque drama, making him well suited to the production of emotive religious subjects.