Josep ESPELTA GRACIOT (1901-1973) - Crucified Christ - 65 cm - Wood - 1940-1950

Josep ESPELTA GRACIOT (1901–1973) – Christ Crucified, 1946 – Carved from boxwood on a walnut cross – Signed and documented.

Important Christ Crucified work, signed by the sculptor Josep ESPELTA GRACIOT (1901–1973), dated 1946, a magnificent example of Catalan religious imagery from the period immediately following the Spanish Civil War.

The work is executed by carving in boxwood, a material highly valued for its hardness, fine grain, and ability to allow highly precise carving. The Christ is presented on an elegant, sober walnut cross, whose dark tone creates a strong contrast with the warm, natural color of the sculpture.

The piece appears signed and dated by the artist himself, clearly readable on the shroud of the purity:

"J. ESPELTA – 1946"

A circumstance particularly relevant for its identification, dating, and value as a collectible piece.

An unusually rare opportunity to acquire a signed and dated religious work by Josep Espelta Graciot, created in 1946, during the heart of the postwar reconstruction of Catalan religious imagery. Its boxwood carving, the walnut cross, the expressive quality of the Christ, and especially the maintenance of professional restoration documentation make the ensemble of special interest to collectors of Spanish sculpture, religious art, and Catalan imagery of the 20th century.

Cross: approximately 61 × 32 cm
Christ: approximately 37 × 25 cm

Christ: boxwood carved wood.
Cross: walnut wood.

The contrast between the dark walnut of the cross and the warm tone of the boxwood gives the set an especially elegant presence.

Professionally documented restoration

An especially interesting element of this piece is that its professional conservation and restoration file is preserved, and will be delivered with the work.

The documentation expressly identifies the crucifix as a work by Josep Espelta Graciot (1901–1973) and specifies materials and dimensions.

Before intervention, the sculpture showed accumulated dirt, partial losses in some fingers, and the arms were partially detached.

The file notes, however, that the wood was generally well preserved and free of xylophagous insect attack.

The conservation intervention included gluing both arms, fixing the figure to the cross, cleaning the surface, nourishing/protecting the wood, and applying a final coat of shellac. The cross was also cleaned and protected.

Therefore, the existing restorations are not hidden but are fully documented, forming part of the conservative history of the work.

Currently the piece presents a magnificent overall presence, preserving the characteristics typical of a religious sculpture about 80 years old.

Beyond its religious or decorative function, this sculpture constitutes an interesting testimony of a specific moment in Spanish artistic history.

Made in 1946, just a few years after the end of the Civil War, it belongs to the period in which sculptors and imagers like Espelta actively participated in the recovery of religious sculpture intended for churches, chapels, and sanctuaries.

Its aesthetics combine anatomical realism, spirituality, and sobriety—characteristics representative of a significant part of Catalan imagery from the mid-20th century.

The cross also preserves the characteristic tablet or titulus placed above Christ’s head, with the traditional inscription associated with the Crucifixion rendered in different scripts.

This element further personalizes the ensemble and reinforces its historical and devotional character.

Beyond its religious or decorative function, this sculpture constitutes an interesting testimony of a specific moment in Spanish artistic history.

Made in 1946, just a few years after the end of the Civil War, it belongs to the period in which sculptors and imagers like Espelta actively participated in the recovery of religious sculpture destined for churches, chapels, and sanctuaries.

Its aesthetics combine anatomical realism, spirituality, and sobriety, characteristic of a substantial part of Catalan imagery from the mid-20th century.

Good overall condition for its age.

Shows normal signs related to the passage of time and its original use as a religious object.

Old partial losses are observed in some fingers of the hands and restorations at the junction of the arms, all of which are documented in the professional documentation that accompanies the work.

The wood presents an attractive tone and patina, with numerous carving details perfectly preserved.

It is advisable to study the photographs carefully, which are a fundamental part of the conservation status description.

Josep Espelta Graciot (1901–1973) was a Catalan sculptor and image-maker especially renowned for his production of religious sculpture in the decades following the Spanish Civil War.

His career is closely linked to the intense process of recovery and reconstruction of religious heritage carried out during the 40s and 50s, when numerous churches and sanctuaries had to replace images lost or destroyed during the conflict.

Espelta created numerous religious images destined for churches and sanctuaries, becoming one of the names associated with the renewal of Catalan religious imagery of the 20th century.

The date of this Christ, 1946, is therefore particularly significant: it fully belongs to that initial postwar period of religious reconstruction and is practically contemporary with some of Espelta’s most well-known religious interventions during those years.