Carmelite and Fransciscan black saints

Study of images from Minas Gerais and Pernambuco

Abstract

This article presents wooden images of the black Franciscan Carmelite saints in Pernambuco and Minas Gerais, northeastern and southeastern Brazilian poles. The time frame of the objects of study covers the 16th to the 19th centuries, a period of Christianization of the gentiles, blacks, and browns. The work of the brotherhoods of Rosário dos Pretos resulted in the construction of a series of temples and, mainly, in the production of polychrome sculptures with a diversified technique and iconography. The research used a theoretical-practical review to examine collections from the states, as mentioned earlier, and included analyses of socio-cultural aspects, religious history, technical materials, and photo documentation. As a result, it was verified, therefore, the predominance of sculptures by Elesbão, and Ifigênia, by Carmelites and, Antônio, de Noto, and Benedito by the Franciscans, and the analysis of the technical, formal, stylistic, and iconographic variety about these Catholic sculptures. It is necessary to emphasize that despite the dissociation of registration from these collections, the images studied assert themselves as an essential documentary testimony of the process of black evangelization and verification of its characteristics. The study allowed us to perceive the specificities between the devotions, characteristics related to the collections of each state, and the relevance of Benedito, as the most revered black saint in the country.