Saint Aloysius Gonzaga Santo, Spanish Painted Wood & Plaster with Glass Eyes

Western Europe, Spain. A devotional santo of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, modeled in wood and plaster and set with glass eyes. The young Jesuit stands quietly with his head bowed and his gaze turned down. He wears a black cassock buttoned all the way down, and over it a white surplice with wide bell sleeves. The surplice's lace borders are picked out in pale blue, and a corded tie hangs at the neck. His hands are raised before him, curved to hold something that is now missing: a crucifix he once gazed at in sorrowful meditation, his best-known attribute. The flesh tones are delicately shaded, the closely cropped hair is stippled, and he stands on a stepped octagonal plinth with a gilt foliate top and a faux-marbled base. Images like this were made for home altars and parish churches, where the saint was honored as patron of youth and students. Aloysius Gonzaga (1568-1591) was born heir to an Italian princely house. He gave up his inheritance to join the Society of Jesus, and he died at 23 after nursing plague victims in Rome. He was canonized in 1726 and later named patron of Catholic youth and students. His standard image shows a pale, beardless young man in cassock and surplice, meditating on a crucifix. A lily for purity, a skull for penance, or a discarded coronet for the inheritance he renounced may accompany him. The downcast eyes and cupped hands of this figure follow the crucifix type. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. Item # 205999

Estimate:£112.73

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