Christ child (from a nativity) 18th century

This small figure of the Christ child was carved by Manuel Chili, known as Caspicara, an Ecuadorian artist who lived in the 1700s. It's made from wood, and the first thing you notice is its diminutive size. Caspicara was Indigenous, yet he worked in the Spanish Baroque style; his sculptures were often made for churches and religious orders. The process he used was deeply collaborative. We know that his workshop was a collective effort that involved many artisans. Some would carve the wood, others would apply gesso— a white paint mixture— and still others would add the polychrome and gilding that made the sculptures so lifelike. Think about what it means to have a religious image produced in this way: a kind of devotional exercise, with many hands contributing to the final form. And the gilding is also important here. It suggests a connection between the divine and the earthly realms, but also a society in which the church controlled so much of the wealth. This sculpture is a potent reminder of how art, craft, and labor come together.