The correct way of representing the clothes of Christ in the “The procession to Calvary with the cross”
Year mention: 1649
Subject:
Passion of Christ ; the procession to Calvary with the cross
Conflict:
Inadequate manner
Criticism:

Pacheco states that is inadequate to depict Christ in the scene of “The procession to Calvary with the cross”: wearing only one tunic, instead of two garments on him, mantle, and skirt (the correct manner).

Agent:
Pacheco, Francisco
REFERENCE IMAGE: HArteR03T09_0000
Frostispiece of Pacheco, El Arte de la pintura (1649), Seville, Simon Faxardo, impressor de libros, a la Cerrajeria

The Passion of Christ iconography was an important topic for Pacheco. The author in this passage analyses the scene of “The procession to Calvary with the cross”, and presented the artwork made by Luis de Vargas as an example of an inadequate manner of depicting Christ: wearing only one tunic, instead of two garments on him, mantle, and skirt (the correct manner).

“There are two garments that Fr. Gerónimo Nadal always puts on him in his prints: the tight-fitting seamless tunic that, as we have said, his Blessed Mother made and put on him in childhood and the mantle with which the Hebrews covered him. And these two garments were the ones that the executioners divided among themselves after he was crucified, dividing the mantle into four parts, each one wearing his own; and pouring sugar on the seamless tunic, which could not be divided, which signifies the unity of the Church, or charity, as St. Augustine felt, which is said to be in the city of Trier in Germany. Fr. Maldonado of the Company says the same about the two garments, about St. John, in the washing of the feet and about the psalm: divisserunt Sibi restimenta me et super vestem meam misserunt sortem that in the Greek they say that it is in both parts in the singular», Luckily, Luis de Vargas did not paint the Christ of steps well, in painting a single tunic; and Albrecht Dürer was right to put two garments on him, mantle and skirt. Then, the Lord left and continued his way from Jerusalem to Calvary, carrying his cross […], in the two places where he met his Mother and turned to the women, seem today the signs of two churches that were built there […]”.

“Dos son las vestiduras que siempre le pone el P. Gerónimo Nadal en sus estampas: la túnica inconsútil ceñida que, como habemos dicho, hizo y le puso su Santisima Madre en la niñez y el manto con que se cubrían los hebreos. Y estas dos vestiduras fueron las que dividieron los verdugos entre sí después de crucificado, partiendo el manto en cuatro partes, llevando cada uno la suya; y echando suertes sobre la túnica sin costura, que no se pudo dividir, que significa la unidad de la Iglesia, o la caridad, como sintió San Agustín , la cual se dice que está en la ciudad de Tréveris en Alemania. Lo mismo de las dos vestiduras dice el P. Maldonado de la Compañía, sobre San Juan, en el lavatorio de los pies y sobre el psalmo: divisserunt sibi vestimenta mea et super vestem meam misserunt sortem que en el griego dicen que está en ambas partes en singular», De suerte, que no pintó bien Luis de Vargas el Cristo de gradas, en pintarle una sola túnica; y Alberto Durero acertó en ponerle dos vestiduras, manto y saya. Pues, saliendo el Señor y prosiguiendo su camino de Jerusalén al Calvario, llevando su cruz […], en los dos lugares donde encontró a su Madre y se volvió a las mujeres, parecen hoy las señales de dos iglesias que allí fueron hechas[…].”

Quoted Authorities

Molanus,Book. 2, ch.30, 91

Model to follow

Jeronimo Nadal,Evangelicae Historiae Imagines (1593)
Albrecht Dürer

Keywords
Calvary, Christ, Golgotha, New Testament, Passion of Christ, procession, tunic

Artist
Vargas, Luis de

Date mention
1649

Historical Location

Seville, Cathedral

Seville


Current Location
Seville, Cathedral
Seville
Type of Object
painting

Iconclass Number
73D4

Source
Pacheco, El Arte de la pintura (1649), book 3, ch.13, 644-645
Literature

Pacheco 1990, 645, n.34;

Permanent Link
https://www.sacrima.eu/case/the-correct-way-of-representing-the-clothes-of-christ-in-the-the-procession-to-calvary-with-the-cross/