The Penitente Moradas of AbiquiúAhlborn, Richard E.
History
The Penitente Moradas of Abiquiú
Ahlborn, Richard E.
Abiquiu (N.M.) -- Religious life and customs; Hermanos Penitentes -- New Mexico -- Abiquiu; Moradas -- New Mexico -- Abiquiu
[Illustration: FIGURE 50. OUR LADY OF SORROWS (_Nuestra Señora de los
Dolores_). SIZE: 104.1 centimeters high. DATE: Third quarter of 19th
century. ORIGIN: New Mexico, unidentified _santero_. LOCATION: South
_morada_, left side of altar. MANUFACTURE: Carved wood, gessoed and
painted; dressed in pink satin; artificial flowers, tin crown.]
[Illustration: FIGURE 51. VIRGIN AND CHILD OR SAINT RITA (_Santa Rosa
de Lima_ [local name]). SIZE: 68 centimeters high. DATE: Fourth
quarter of 19th century. ORIGIN: New Mexico, unidentified _santero_.
LOCATION: South _morada_, right side of altar. MANUFACTURE: Carved
wood, gessoed and painted; dressed in pink satin; cross of turned
wood; artificial flowers, shell crown.]
Between these Marian images there are two large _bultos_ that are
examples of the work of the "Abiquiú _morada santero_" suggested
earlier. Both are figures of Jesus. The first, a _Cristo_ (Figure 52),
is the central crucifix on the altar. As in the east _morada_, the
focal image is accompanied by an _angelito_, this time with tin
wings.[77] To the right stands the other image of Jesus, the Nazarene,
_Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno_ (Figure 53). Along with the nearby
crucifix (Figure 52) and the figure of St. John the Evangelist (Figure
42) in the east _morada_, this representation of the scourged Jesus
reflects the style of the "Abiquiú _morada santero_." This Nazarene
_bulto_ embodies the _penitente_ concept of Jesus as a Man of
suffering Who must be followed.
[Illustration: FIGURE 52. CRUCIFIX WITH ANGEL (_Cristo_ and
_angelito_). SIZE: Cross 144.8 centimeters high. DATE: Early 20th
century. ORIGIN: New Mexico, "Abiquiú _morada_" _santero_. LOCATION:
South _morada_, center of altar. MANUFACTURE: Carved wood, gessoed and
painted; purple fabric, waist cloths; tin wings on _angelito_; black
cross with _iNRi_ plaque.]
[Illustration: FIGURE 53. MAN OF SORROWS (_Ecce Homo, Nuestro Padre
Jesus Nazareno_). SIZE: 122 centimeters high. DATE: Second half of
19th century. ORIGIN: New Mexico, "Abiquiú _morada_" _santero_.
LOCATION: South _morada_, right side of altar. MANUFACTURE: Carved
wood, gessoed and painted; black horsehair wig, crown of thorns;
purple fabric gown; palm clusters, rosaries.]
The special character of the _penitente_ brotherhood is demonstrated
also in the last two _bultos_ on the south _morada_ altar. The
prominent size and position of St. John of Nepomuk (Figure 54) on the
altar indicate again the importance given by the _penitentes_ to San
Juan as a keeper of secrets. The other figure is the south _morada_'s
personification of death (Figure 55), _la muerte_, here even more
gaunt than the image in the east _morada_. Probably made after 1900,
this figure demonstrates the persistent artistic and religious
heritage of _Hispano_ culture.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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