Period: 18th century
Neapolitan school, 18th century Baby Jesus with the Sacred Heart Carved, polychrome and lacquered wood; sculpture 33 x 15 cm – Plexiglass base 31 x 10 The work presented here, in terms of size and subject matter intended for private devotion, depicts the Baby Jesus in a lying and relaxed position, caught sleeping as a reminder of the future Passion, death, and Resurrection. The right arm is resting on the head, while the left is raised, holding the Sacred Heart. The face is characterized by a sweet expression, with closed eyes and a slightly open mouth, in an attitude of serene contemplation. The body is wrapped in a slightly draped loincloth, according to the iconographic tradition of the Baby Jesus. The craftsmanship exhibits a smoothness typical of 18th-century devotional sculpture, with a glossy finish from the lacquering, which gives a particular brilliance to the surface. The warm tones of the skin and the curly hair, painted with reddish hues, are common elements in sacred sculpture from Southern Italy. The work, therefore, falls within the tradition of 18th-century devotional statuary, particularly widespread in Southern Italy and Spain. The subject of the sleeping or resting Baby Jesus was very popular in churches and private oratories, often used as an object of domestic veneration. The iconography of the Sacred Heart in the Baby's hand is a significant variant: a symbol of divine love and Christ's redemptive sacrifice, this addition suggests a particular focus on the spirituality linked to the cult of the Sacred Heart, promoted by the Jesuits and widely spread in the 18th century. Given the bright polychromy, glossy lacquering, and sweet expressive face, the sculpture could belong to the Neapolitan tradition of the 18th century. In particular, the Neapolitan school was famous for the production of polychrome wooden sculptures intended for nativity scenes or domestic devotional images.