Luisa Roldán, called La RoldanaSpanish, 1652–1706Saint Ginés de la Jara
Can I see it?
Yes, on view now
Where is “Saint Ginés de la Jara” now? J. Paul Getty Museum, Museum East Pavilion, Gallery E201, Los Angeles. Yes, on view now. Checked October 5, 2026.
Closed· opens tomorrow at 10:00 AM
On public display.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the sculpture
In a richly brocaded robe, with rosy cheeks, shining eyes, and outstretched arms, Saint Ginés de la Jara appeals to the faithful standing before him. His gestures and open mouth suggest that he is preaching. According to legend, after Saint Ginés was decapitated in southern France, he picked up his head and tossed it into the Rhône River. Carried by the sea to the coast of southeastern Spain, it was retrieved and conserved as a relic. Life-sized, devotional cult objects often included glass eyes and were often made out of wood that could be painted in order to achieve lifelike results. Reinforcing the emotional experience of the faithful, such heightened realism typified Spanish Baroque art at a time when the Catholic Church sought to make Christianity more accessible to believers. Luisa Roldán, also called La Roldana, carved the work.
Read on
The figure was polychromed by her brother-in-law, Tomás de los Arcos, who used the Spanish technique of *estofado* to replicate the brocaded ecclesiastical garments. In this process, the area of the figure's garment was first covered in gold leaf and painted over with brown paint, and then incised with a stylus to reveal the gold underneath.
J. Paul Getty Museum
Details
- Accession number
- 85.SD.161
In the catalog
Sources
- J. Paul Getty Museum
- Image: J. Paul Getty Museum — Open Content
