Sculpture

Guatemalan sculpture of the XVIth-XVIIIth centuries includes examples of the Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassic styles. Guatemala city was an important center of artistic production, with its own styles and forms of expression. Guatemalan sculpture and silverwork were highly appreciated throughout the New World, and important examples reached some churches in Spain.

A distinctive feature of Guatemalan sculpture was the gild work, called estofado, applied to replicate clothing patterns. Estofado consisted in gold sheets that were applied over the wooden sculptures, painted with various designs. A magnificent example of Guatemalan colonial is Our Lady of Sorrows, with alabaster hands and face, and the small images of Saint John and Mary Magdalene, whose faces, hands and feet are made from ivory imported from the Phillipines.

	Mary Magdalene Santiago de Guatemala XVIIIth Century (?) Height 29 cm; Width 23 cm.
	Our Lady of Sorrows Santiago de Guatemala XVIIIth Century Height 61 cm; Width 28 cm.

Saint Joseph Santiago de Guatemala XVIIIth - XIXth Century Height 96 cm; Width 27.5 cm.