Title

Tota Pulchra. Immaculate Conception

Fray Eugenio Gutiérrez de Torices, OMD (?, ca. 1634 - ?, 1709)

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Object history

On a piece of paper behind the sculpture, the following is written: “Fr. Eugenius Gutiérrez de Torices ordinis Ba Ma de Mercedes Redemptionis captiviorum in suo segobiensi monasteri fat”. Once again, the artist’s name appears—as if the signature on the relief were not enough—along with an unmistakable reference to his religious order, whose official name is Ordo Beatae Mariae de Mercede redemptionis captivorum. Furthermore, the text clarifies that the work was in the convent in Segovia where he lived. The building, erected in the early 17th century, was demolished in the 19th century—its site is now occupied by the Jardín de la Plaza de la Merced—so it must have been moved to another location before leaving Spain. We have no information on this matter, except that there was a composition by Fray Eugenio in a convent in El Espinar, in the province of Segovia; however, this convent belonged to the Franciscan order, so the geographical proximity does not allow us to confirm that it was the same work.

By the 21st century, the work was in the hands of the Coll & Cortés gallery (Madrid). According to the Detroit Institute of Arts’ website, the work entered the museum in 2014 as a gift from the Coll & Cortés gallery, without providing further details.

Description

Among the works of art that are not usually on display at the Detroit Institute of Arts is a small piece titled Tota Pulchra (Immaculate Conception). It is a relief in the form of a panel measuring just 35.6 x 28.9 cm, including the frame, made primarily of wax, with the incorporation of othermaterials such as wire, wood, and glass. The piece is painted in various colors and features gold leaf to highlight certain parts. The frame is made of ebony and is painted and gilded; it is itself a notable piece that forms part of the whole.

In the lower left corner of the composition, a cartouche reads: “Fry Evgeo ft. 1690”. The signature belongs to the friar of the Order of Our Lady of Mercy (OMD), Fray Eugenio Gutiérrez de Torices (c. 1634–1709). Although he is not considered a prominent artist today, Antonio Palomino in El Museo pictórico y escala óptica (1724, p. 475) praised his art, for he “managed to imitate works of nature with wax, executing them to such a sublime degree that, by painting the relief with wax and carving the color with a burin, he left one in doubt as to what was painted and what was real…”. These compositions, which the Mercedarian friar called “showcases,” appear to have been appreciated by King Philip IV, according to Fernando Rodríguez de la Torre in the entry for the author in the Biographical Dictionary of the Royal Academy of History. Palomino, for his part, and to further highlight the friar’s skill, noted that the Italian painters Colonna and Mitelli said his works were “un myracolo della natura”, for the compositions achieved a high degree of realism.

Tota pulchra is a hymn to the cult of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. Before the Church accepted that the Virgin had been born without original sin, there was a long debate largely led by the Spanish monarchy. The dogma was not accepted until December 8, 1854, by a decision of Pope Pius IX, and not without opposition from orders such as the Dominicans and the Augustinians; however, efforts had been underway for much longer to achieve this recognition for the Mother of God. Thus, the 17th and 18th centuries were fruitful in terms of images by great painters and sculptors depicting the Immaculate Conception, so Friar Eugenio simply followed this trend.

His composition perfectly follows the iconography that became official for the Immaculate Conception. She appears dressed in a white tunic and blue mantle—symbolizing purity and heavenly royalty—floating above a crescent moon, which symbolizes victory over evil and mortality, and surrounded by putti. A crown of twelve stars above her head alludes to the “woman clothed with the sun” from the Book of Revelation. At the bottom of the composition appears a monster with the body of a serpent and the head of a dragon, symbolizing the triumph over the devil and original sin. Alongside this iconography specific to the Immaculate Conception, there are other motifs that abound in the theme, such as the hortus conclusus —the enclosed garden that is a recurring symbol of Mary’s virginity—or the turris eburnea or turris davidica, which appear in the Song of Songs and are Marian invocations included in the Litany of Loreto, symbolizing the Virgin’s purity and strength, and an open temple, signifying that through Mary one may enter heaven.

Locations

• 1690

  convent

  Convent of the Discalced Mercedarians in Segovia, Segovia (Spain)

• 2014

  dealer/antiquarian

  Coll & Cortés, Madrid (Spain) *

• 2014 - present

  museum

  Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit (United States)