Crucified Christ; Crown of Aragon, 12th-13th century. Carved... Lot 5

Crucified Christ; Crown of Aragon, 12th-13th century. Carved wood. It presents faults in the carving and damage caused by xylophages. Measurements: 68 x 14 x 16 cm. The way in which this sculpture is carved reveals that it was probably part of a larger sculptural group, being designed to be seen from the front only. The work is notable for its simple carving which seeks to enhance iconographic values over anatomical veracity, as the intention is to transmit the dogma to the faithful. Despite this simplicity of form, the work shows great care in the carving, creating facial features that transmit more than just aesthetics. The component kingdoms of the Crown were not politically united except by the king, who governed each autonomous political entity according to its own laws, collecting funds under each fiscal structure. In 1469, a new dynastic union of the Crown of Aragon with the Crown of Castile by the Catholic Monarchs, joining what their contemporaries called "the Spains", gave rise to what was to become the Monarchy of Spain. With the advent of the Gothic period, a substantial aesthetic change took place throughout Europe, both in architecture and in painting and sculpture. The symbolic and timeless hieratism of the Romanesque gave way to a desire for reality and narrative meaning that had its roots in classical sculpture and forced artists to take nature as their model. Gothic sculptors therefore sought to represent the visible world as it is. In this way, the gestures and attitudes of the figures are humanised, and they acquire individuality. Aesthetic conventions - such as the large eyes standing out from the rest of the face, which symbolised the character's soul - were left behind and a naturalistic representation of faces, anatomy, clothing, etc. was sought. Following this new aesthetic line, the figures abandoned their vertical, symmetrical and hieratic postures to adopt increasingly expressive and gestural ones, with greater realism in their movement. At the same time, the aim was to represent the emotions of the figures through eloquent gestures of the face and hands.