Two works of art in Las Monjas church were done by Juan Rodriguez Juarez, one of the most prominent novo-Hispanic artists of the Baroque period. Born in Mexico City in 1675, Juarez came from a family of painters who had gained notoriety in Spain. He became known for religious art, and for portraits of noblemen and high officials, following established European patterns such as symbols of rank and wealth in furnishings, and surroundings.
Adoration of the Magi: Juan Rodriguez Juarez
The two paintings referred to are on the wall flanking the altar, to the right as one faces forward. One shows the Adoration of the Magi—the visit by the three kings to bring gifts to the infant Jesus. This is a very common theme in religious art; the scene has been painted by numerous artists around the world. The second painting, however, is quite unique because the subject is the Circumcision of Jesus.
It is curious to see a celebration of the circumcision of Jesus in a Catholic church. After all, was this not one of the major divisive factors highlighting the difference between Jews and Christians? But the circumcision of Jesus is an event from his life, according to the Gospel. On the eight day following birth, a Jewish male child would undergo circumcision, and would be given a name. For Jesus that day fell on January 1, and it became a religious celebration: the Feast of the Holy Name. It emphasized the naming, instead of the cut.
The painting is very well executed, showing authentic expressions on the people depicted, and good proportions. Something seen frequently in old paintings is the incorrect proportions on children; often they seem like miniatures of adults. That is not the case in the painting of Juarez. Not only does the infant Jesus look like an infant, he looks like a week-old child. This lends authenticity to the entire scene. In addition, the folds of cloth are also very well done, something that is not always achieved correctly. The gossamer cloth looks translucent as it drapes under the child.
Circumcision of Jesus: Juan Rodriguez Juarez
The circumcision of Jesus became a common subject in Christian art after the 10th century, frequently depicted by artists. One example is a Byzantine illuminated manuscript from the 10th century, in the Vatican Library. The scene shows Mary and Joseph holding the baby Jesus outside a building, probably the Temple of Jerusalem, as a priest stands at the ready with a knife. Note the proportionally incorrect child who looks like a miniature adult, and not an eight-day infant. Fear and disgust seem to spread on the faces of the child, mother, and father.
This is typical of the early depictions, which avoid showing the operation itself. At the period of Jesus's birth, the actual Jewish practice was for the operation to be performed at home, usually by the father.
In addition to the canonical account in the Gospel of Luke, there are other references to the circumcision, and specifically to the survival of the severed foreskin. One ancient narratives has the following story: "And when the time of his circumcision was come…the old Hebrew woman took the foreskin and preserved it in an alabaster-box of old oil of spikenard.” She then told her son, who was a druggist, to preserve it and not to sell it at any cost.
As frequently happens with religious reliquaries, they appear in more places than one—nobody wants to be left behind. And that is the case with the holy prepuce, to which miraculous powers were assigned. Various churches in Europe claimed to possess it, sometimes simultaneously. Most of these relics were lost or destroyed, with the exception of one that was supposedly the true foreskin, and was kept in a church in Calcata, Italy. It was paraded during the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, as recently as 1983. It all came to an end that year when thieves broke into the church of Calcata, stole the jewel-encrusted case with its content, leaving the world bereft of the holy anatomical grail.
But why would Christians celebrate Jesus’s circumcision? Wasn’t this exactly the procedure that separated Judaism and Christianity? Paul, recognized as the founder of Christianity, sought to make Judaism a world religion open to everyone, and his earliest converts were Jews. For them circumcision was not an issue–they were all circumcised. But when Paul extended his reach to Gentiles, the requirement of circumcision posed an insurmountable obstacle because many of them called circumcision mutilation, and ridiculed Jews for the practice. Paul knew that he would meet fierce resistance if he invited uncircumcised Gentiles into the House of Israel.
But one can always find an escape hatch out of a philosophical quandary if one engages in enough mental gymnastics. Paul found a way to rationalize the dilemma by introducing the notion of “circumcision of the heart”—not a physical cut, but a spiritual one. According to him, a physical circumcision was not necessary, faith is sufficient to create an eternal covenant with God. In his circuitous arguments Paul attempted to convince the disciples of Jesus to accept uncircumcised Gentiles into the Jewish fold. Thus circumcision was abandoned, and Christianity was on its separate path, a path that increasingly distanced the new religion from Judaism, and the subject became much rarer in art.
When it was shown, as in the painting of Juan Rodriguez Juarez, it took on a very different meaning. It became the first drawing of Christ’s blood, and a precursor of his eventual shedding of blood on the cross. The Christian version transformed circumcision into a common theme: a celebration of pain and suffering. This archetype is perfectly represented in a 15th century fresco found on the wall of a church in Denmark, clearly showing the shedding of blood as the priest makes his cut. The image on the left is the entire panel, on the right is a close up.
The painting of Juan Rodriguez Juarez is the only known depiction of the circumcision of Jesus in San Miguel de Allende that I was aware of. However, as we sat in the nun’s waiting room hopingto speak to the Mother Superior, who might provide additional information, we saw a large painting on one of the
walls. As all the others, it was anonymous, and dark with age. Fortunately, when photographed by Jack Paulus, with the proper equipment and sufficient exposure time, the scene was revealed.
Amazingly, it was another depiction of the circumcision of Jesus.
And then, we found still another painting in Las Monjas that appears to deal with the circumcision of Jesus. This one is inside the church, and difficult to make out until revealed in the photo.
It is yet another anonymous painting showing a scene of the Virgin Mary handing the child Jesus to a high priest. Other elements in the painting—the draped table, Joseph holding a tall ceremonial candle, the young man with a jug that could contain unguents or water—all seem to indicate a preparation for the circumcision of the infant.
If this is indeed such a painting, then it would be the third one in Las Monjas relating to the circumcision of Jesus. A puzzling finding, to say the least.
