Monday, March 14, 2022

352. Ecce Homo: BEHOLD, A BUSTO CRISTO!

BEHOLD THE MAN, Ht. 12"x W 14", heavy wood, late 19th c.

Jesus at his trial is represented in artworks and sculpture  often titled as “Ecce Homo”, (Behold the Man), an allusion to the statement of Pontius Pilate when he presented the anguished man to the hostile crowd.

There are countless  paintings and processional statues depicting the bruised and battered Christ, as well as busts, which are rarer to find. Perhaps, the most significant bust found in the Philippines is the 4-centuries old Ecce Homo of Cebu. It is considered the 2nd oldest image next to the Sto. Niño, given as baptismal gift by Ferdinand Magellan to Cebu’s Rajah Humabon in 1521.

This Ecce Homo, which date from the late 19th  century, was found in Pampanga. It is a folksy version, made from 2 solid wooden parts. The slim head of Christ was carved separately to fit into the upper wooden torso, draped with a neatly tied cloak.

His thin features, bulging, half-closed eyes (outfitted with glass eyes--now lost), and open mouth showing some teeth—reveal the depths of his pain and sorrow. This Christ was meant to wear a wig, but his moustache and pointed beard are carved, with many of the detailed hair strands damaged over time. 

In fact, the head, which was once painted, is pockmarked with scratches, scrapes, and woodworm damage—which dramatically added to the gravity of Jesus’s painful and humiliating torture in the hands of his tormentors. 

Indeed, the Ecce Homo serves to remind us that Christ suffered for our sake, and the image aims to encourage people to contemplate on Jesus’ sufferings, to see ourselves united with Him in sorrow and in hope-- in the face of adversities.