Sagrado Corazon

Copied Caban group, Sagrado Corazon, ca. mid-19th-early 20th century, carved and painted wood, ivory, seeds, and string, 18 1⁄2 x 7 5⁄8 x 6 3⁄4 in. (47.0 x 19.4 x 17.2 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Teodoro Vidal Collection, 1996.91.33
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Artwork Details

Title
Sagrado Corazon
Artist
Caban group
Date
ca. mid-19th-early 20th century
Location
Dimensions
18 1⁄2 x 7 5⁄8 x 6 3⁄4 in. (47.0 x 19.4 x 17.2 cm.)
Credit Line
Teodoro Vidal Collection
Mediums
Mediums Description
carved and painted wood, ivory, seeds, and string
Classifications
Keywords
  • Religion — New Testament — Christ
Object Number
1996.91.33
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1996.91.33

Artwork Description

The Sacred Heart of Jesus is an important devotional image in the Roman Catholic Church, symbolizing Christ's all-consuming love for mankind. This special symbolism probably began with a vision experienced by a nun, Margaret Mary Alacoque, at her French convent in 1673. She claimed that during the blessing of the Sacrament on the altar, she saw an apparition of Christ with five wounds shining like five suns. His breast opened, revealing his heart as the source of the light. (Yvonne Lange, "Santos: The Household Wooden Saints of Puerto Rico," PhD diss., 1975)