Sculpture, San José con el Niño - 52 cm - wood paste

Sculpture “Saint Joseph with the Child Jesus,” Catalan School of Olot, late 19th century - early 20th century
Catalonia, Spain

Extraordinary “Saint Joseph with the Child Jesus” made at the beginning of the 20th century. The work belongs to the Catalan school, specifically to the Olot workshops (Girona) as indicated by the seal located on the back of Saint Joseph’s tunic. Around 1900 this town established itself as one of the main industrial centers of religious sculpture in Spain.
Saint Joseph is depicted standing, in a protective and gathered posture, with his head slightly inclined toward the Child, a gesture that underscores his role as a caring father and model of virtue. He holds in his hand the bloomed staff of lilies, a traditional symbol of his purity and divine choice, a symbolic element treated with discretion and elegance. The face shows idealized features, a beard and wavy hair, and an introspective, melancholic, and profoundly human expression, very characteristic of Olot sculpture.
The Child Jesus stands beside Saint Joseph, taking his hand, visually reinforcing the affectionate bond between the two figures. His attitude is trusting and serene, with uplifted gaze, and he holds a small cross, an early allusion to his future Passion. The child’s anatomy is resolved with great delicacy, highlighting the natural flesh tones and the softness of the modeling, which conveys innocence and spirituality without rigidity.
The garments feature wide, well-ordered folds, with sober and balanced polychromy. The tones are ocher, gold, and pink, enriched with discreet floral brocades that add nobility to the whole without detracting from harmony.
On religious imagery in Olot
Religious imagery in Olot began in 1880 with the founding of a workshop by Joaquim Vayreda and Josep Berga devoted to the manufacture of saints. Linked to the Olot Public Drawing School, both were concerned about the lack of professional opportunities for their students.
Initially, the first images made were unique pieces in clay; they also painted plaster sculptures brought from France. Four years later, images made of paste-wood began to be produced, a material that would revolutionize the production of saints. It was a very strong mixture that allowed large pieces to be made while their weight was markedly lightened. Unlike plaster, paste-wood was a privileged material since in 1887, by ecclesiastical decree, it was permitted to be blessed.
Soon, new workshops began to be founded in the city. Religious imagery solidified as an important and characteristic Olot production, to which the existence in the city of the Public Drawing School decisively contributed, born a century earlier and training prepared artisans for the workshops.
At this time what will later be known as the “Olot School” is established, with dozens of workshops and numerous artisans dedicated to the serial production of sacred sculptures. The Baroque tradition of devotional sculpture merged with modern methods that allowed the pieces to be lighter, cheaper, and more accessible.
The process of carving and modeling followed the usual practices in Olot workshops, where clay models and plaster molds were produced to reproduce multiple copies in pasteboard wood. On the sculptural body, textile elements — fabrics and laces — were later added to complete the final appearance of the figure.

Category: Sculpture
• Material: Paste wood
• Title: Saint Joseph with the Child Jesus
• School: Catalan School of Olot
• Period: late 19th century - early 20th century
• Country of origin: Catalonia, Spain
• Dimensions: 52 x 20 x 17 cm
• Condition: Good condition for its age and use; the images serve as a description of the piece, some breaks present in fingers and nimbus
• Provenance: Private collection

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