Mano Poderosa (The All-Powerful Hand), or Las Cinco Personas (The Five Persons)
Brooklyn Museum photograph
Object Label
A lively tradition of provincial Mexican religious art has existed from the Spanish colonial period through the present day. The subject of this devotional image, rendered in the popular medium of painted tin, also appeared in more formal colonial Mexican altar paintings. Perched on the tips of the fingers of a detached hand, Christ appears flanked by his parents and his grandparents, Anna and Joachim. The symbol of the hand, deriving from the European cult of Saint Anne, also bears the wound of the stigmata in reference both to the Crucifixion and to the life of Saint Francis; the seven lambs, drinking here from the chalice of Christ\'s blood, derive from the Book of Revelations.
Caption
Mexican. Mano Poderosa (The All-Powerful Hand), or Las Cinco Personas (The Five Persons), 19th century. Oil on metal (possibly tin-plated iron), 13 7/8 x 10 1/16in. (35.2 x 25.6cm) mount (supporting panel): 15 1/8 x 11 x 7/8 in. (38.4 x 27.9 x 2.2 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Expedition 1944, Purchased with funds given by the Estate of Warren S.M. Mead, 44.195.24. No known copyright restrictions (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 44.195.24_SL1.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Culture
Title
Mano Poderosa (The All-Powerful Hand), or Las Cinco Personas (The Five Persons)
Date
19th century
Geography
Place made: Mexico
Medium
Oil on metal (possibly tin-plated iron)
Classification
Dimensions
13 7/8 x 10 1/16in. (35.2 x 25.6cm) mount (supporting panel): 15 1/8 x 11 x 7/8 in. (38.4 x 27.9 x 2.2 cm)
Credit Line
Museum Expedition 1944, Purchased with funds given by the Estate of Warren S.M. Mead
Accession Number
44.195.24
Rights
No known copyright restrictions
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Frequent Art Questions
Why are these icons depicted on the fingertips? Is this a common image in Mexican Christian art?
Yes, this is a common motif! The hand symbolizes the wounded hand of the crucified Christ. On its fingertips are representations of the Holy Family. The infant Jesus' position on the thumb represents his importance, since much of a hand's function depends on the thumb. The red marks on the palm represent Christ's wounds from his crucifixion.The five figures are the young Christ, his mother the Virgin Mary, his earthly father St. Joseph, and St. Anne and St. Joachim, Mary's parents. The inclusion of the extended family reflects the Latin American and Spanish regard for the family.Can you tell me something interesting about this painting?
There are so many symbols embedded in this painting. The symbol of the hand derives from the European cult of Saint Anne. It also bears the wound of the stigmata in reference both to the Crucifixion and to the life of Saint Francis. The chalice (similar to a goblet) is filled with Christ's blood, and the seven lambs drinking from it derive from the Book of Revelation. The figures on the fingertips are Christ, his earthly parents Mary and Joseph, and his grandparents.
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