Mass of St John of Mathaa 1666

Juan Carreno de Miranda created this monumental canvas, "Mass of Saint John of Matha" in the latter half of the 17th century, employing oil paints and masterful brushwork. Look closely, and you’ll notice how the oil paint's viscosity allows for both detailed rendering and luminous, cloud-like forms, essential to the work’s thematic content. Miranda used traditional materials to depict the holy mass and the Holy Trinity, employing distinct brushwork techniques: the figures have precisely painted faces, while light and shadow give volume to clothing and depth to background. This level of detail must have required assistants, and the production of the painting would have been a studio effort. The artwork exemplifies the skilled labor involved in producing large-scale paintings for religious institutions, reflecting the social and political context of the time. The scale of the painting makes a statement: only a well-funded workshop could have created something this monumental. The artwork is a reminder of the rich history and cultural significance embedded in the materiality and making processes of fine art.