Images of the Spanish Counter-reform in Brazil: the life of São João da Cruz in the church of the Third Order of Carmo in Cachoeira, Bahia

Abstract

On the roof of the nave of the church of the Third Carmelite Order in Cachoeira city (Bahia state), there is a set of eleven paintings produced on wood in the eighteenth century. The pictures show scenes about the history of the Carmelite Order, emphasizing the doctrine announced by the principles of Contrarreforma and religious reform within this Order, both held in Sixteenth century. Overall pictorial representations of two predominant Spanish Carmelite saints, who are icons of the Modern Age, Santa Teresa Avila (1515-1582) and St. John of the Cross (1542-1591). This study emphasizes the iconographiciconological analysis of four colonial collection of paintings, which depict scenes from the life of St. John of the Cross. The thematic focus different stages of life of the saint,also represent him as a mystic and exorcist, and adoring the Christ and martyred near Our Lady. This representation of the life of St. John Cross is rare in pictorial sets in the churches of the secular Carmelites in Brazil, with a predominance of images of Our Lady and St. Teresa of Avila. The main sources of research for analysis are the series of engravings about the life of the Holy Carmelite produced, mostly in the seventeenth century in Europe, and their biographies written after his death.