Sculpture, Ecce Agnus Dei - 60 cm - Wood

Ecce Agnus Dei - Saint John the Baptist with the Mystic Lamb. Portuguese sculpture of the 19th century, executed in carved and polychromed wood, representing Saint John the Baptist in full body, in a devotional composition with expressive popular character. The saint stands upright, in a slightly dynamic pose, with one leg bent and resting on a rocky element, a solution that gives greater dynamism and depth to the figure. It features an elongated face, elevated gaze and contemplative expression, framed by wavy hair and a full beard, carefully worked in successive reliefs. He wears a short tunic in a dark brown shade, evocative of the traditional skin garment associated with Saint John the Baptist’s ascetic life in the desert. Over the tunic rests a mantle with wide folds, partially swept across the back and enveloping the lower part of the figure, with polychromy in grayish and bluish tones. In the left hand, the saint holds the Mystic Lamb, a representation of Christ as the Lamb of God, while in the other hand he grips a long processional cross or staff made of wood. From this hangs a pennon in reddish tones, with cut-out endings and the inscription painted in gold: “ECCE AGNUS DEI” - Latin expression meaning “Behold the Lamb of God,” alluding to the words spoken by Saint John the Baptist when recognizing Jesus Christ. The figure rests on an oval base, simulating ground or rocky terrain, decorated with polychromy in green, brown and black tones. The anatomical treatment, the expressive modeling of the face, and the narrative character of the iconographic attributes place the work within the tradition of 19th-century Portuguese religious imagery, likely intended for private devotion, an oratory, chapel, or secondary altar. Portugal, 19th century. Carved and polychromed wood. Height: 60 cm.