Juan Martinez Montanes

SCULPTOR (1568 - 1649)

Seville's Juan Martínez Montañes was better known in his day as "El Dios de la Madera" (the God of Wood). He produced many magnificent and lifelike sculptures and reliefs in polychromed wood. Montañes' depictions of the infant Christ, the crucifixion, the Immaculate Conception and his ornate carvings of saints provided models which were later followed by generations of sculptors.

Martínez Montañes' work can be seen in many Sevillan and Andalusian churches and among the images carried by Seville's brotherhoods during the Semana Santa processions. This is no coincidence as Montañes´career coincided with the first organisation of the Semana Santa rituals, which have continued to this day and have resulted in numerous commissions for images to be carried in the procession.

Among the numerous disciples of Montañes, Juan de Mesa stands out for the pathos of his images, particularly his crucifixions.

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