Josep ESPELTA GRACIOT (1901-1973) - Crucified Christ - 65 cm - Wood - 1940-1950

Josep ESPELTA GRACIOT (1901–1973) – Christ Crucified, 1946 – Carved in boxwood on a walnut cross – Signed and documented. Important Christ Crucified work, signed by the sculptor Josep ESPELTA GRACIOT (1901–1973), dated 1946, a magnificent example of Catalan religious imagery from the immediate post-C Spanish Civil War period. The piece is crafted in boxwood wood, a material particularly valued for its hardness, fine grain, and ability to permit highly precise carving. The Christ stands on an elegant and sober walnut cross, whose dark tone creates a strong contrast with the warm, natural tones of the sculpture. The work is signed and dated by the artist himself, clearly legible on the loincloth: “J. ESPELTA – 1946” A detail especially relevant for its identification, dating, and value as a collectible piece. An unusually rare opportunity to acquire a signed and dated religious work by Josep Espelta Graciot, created in 1946, during the mid-postwar reconstruction of Catalan religious imagery. Its boxwood carving, the walnut cross, the expressive quality of the Christ, and, especially, the preservation of professional restoration documentation, make the piece of special interest to collectors of Spanish sculpture, religious art, and Catalan imagery of the 20th century. Cross: approximately 61 × 32 cm Christ: approximately 37 × 25 cm Christ: boxwood carved wood. Cross: walnut wood. The contrast between the dark walnut of the cross and the warm hue of the boxwood gives the whole set an especially elegant presence. Professionally documented restoration An especially interesting element of this piece is that its professional conservation and restoration file has been preserved and will be provided with the work. The documentation expressly identifies the crucifix as a work by Josep Espelta Graciot (1901–1973) and specifies materials and dimensions. Before intervention, the sculpture showed dirt buildup, partial losses in some fingers, and the arms were partially detached from the shoulders. The file notes, however, that the wood was generally well preserved and free of wood-boring insect attack. The conservation work included gluing both arms, securing the figure to the cross, cleaning the surface, nourishing/protecting the wood, and applying a final coat of shellac. The cross was also cleaned and protected. Therefore, the existing restorations are not hidden, but are perfectly documented, forming part of the conservation history of the work. Currently the piece presents a magnificent overall presence, preserving the features of a religious sculpture of approximately 80 years of age. Beyond its religious or decorative function, this sculpture constitutes an interesting testimony of a specific moment in Spanish artistic history. Made in 1946, just a few years after the end of the Civil War, it belongs to the period when sculptors and imagers like Espelta actively participated in the recovery of religious sculpture destined for churches, chapels, and sanctuaries. Its aesthetics combine anatomical realism, spirituality, and sobriety, representative characteristics of a significant portion of Catalan imagery of the mid-20th century. The cross also preserves the typical plaque or titulus placed above Christ’s head, with the traditional inscription associated with the Crucifixion, represented in different scripts. This element further personalizes the whole and reinforces its historic and devotional character. Beyond its religious or decorative function, this sculpture constitutes an interesting testimony of a specific moment in Spanish artistic history. Made in 1946, just a few years after the end of the Civil War, it belongs to the period when sculptors and imagers like Espelta actively participated in the recovery of religious sculpture for churches, chapels, and sanctuaries. Its aesthetics combine anatomical realism, spirituality, and sobriety, characteristic of a significant part of Catalan imagery in the mid-20th century. Good overall condition considering its age. Shows normal signs related to the passage of time and its original use as a religious object. Old partial losses are visible in some fingers of the hands and restorations at the arm joints, all of which are recorded in the professional documentation accompanying the work. The wood presents an attractive color and patina, with many carving details perfectly preserved and visible. Careful observation of the photographs is recommended, as they are a fundamental part of the conservation state description. Josep Espelta Graciot (1901–1973) was a Catalan sculptor and image-maker especially renowned for his production of religious sculpture in the decades following the Spanish Civil War. His career is closely linked to the intense process of recovery and reconstruction of religious heritage carried out during the 1940s and 1950s, when numerous churches and sanctuaries had to replace images that disappeared or were destroyed during the conflict. Espelta created numerous religious images for churches and sanctuaries, becoming one of the names associated with the renewal of Catalan religious imagery in the 20th century. The date of this Christ, 1946, is thus particularly significant: it belongs squarely to that initial postwar period of religious reconstruction and is practically contemporary with some of the best-known religious interventions carried out by Espelta during those years.

估價:$616.35

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