Antonio Vilca (Cuzco, Viceroyalty of Peru, active from 1778 -1803) 'Mockery and torture of Jesus during his flagellation, assisted by angels who tend to his wounds' Oil on canvas. 28 x 20,5 cm.    A small-format work, with a very fine stretcher and a painted feigned frame, rich in colour, composition, figure stylisation, and iconographic meaning. Vilca, a prominent disciple of Marcos Zapata — perhaps the most important artist alongside Cipriano de Toledo — presents us with this work full of grace and sensitivity, at times naïve, which encapsulates the devotion to this sorrowful scene of mockery and suffering endured by Jesus on his Way of the Cross. Antonio Vilca was one of the few Cuzco painters who embraced Rococo ornamentation, a style less prevalent in Cuzco than in Quito. A distinguished disciple of Marcos Zapata, Vilca’s work reflects the legacy of Cuzco’s Baroque tradition. Where in other works by Vilca the feigned frame consists of rocaille ornamentation, here it is replaced by a red sealing-wax background with black roundels. This compositional peculiarity, along with its quality and colour palette, makes this canvas a small pictorial gem. Comparable work by Vilca include his 'Litany of Loreto' series ('Mother of Divine Grace, 'Purest Vessel', 'Cause of Our Joy') in the Church of Surite, Cuzco, and 'Our Lady of the Rosary of Lima' in Peru’s Banco de Crédito collection.   The assistance of the angels during Christ’s suffering is not found in the Bible, but rather in the Apocryphal Gospels. It forms part of the sensitive devotional tradition of the faithful, who seek to accompany Jesus in his pain, and to share in the sorrow of his mother, who is “pierced” by what she sees behind the bars of her soul. This devotion also expresses a desire to soothe his wounds and, together with the angels, help alleviate his suffering and cleanse his injuries. Two kneeling angels, like two candles, accompany Jesus, bound to the column after his flagellation. One is dressed in red, the other in blue. As mentioned elsewhere, blue represents the divine, the celestial, peace, and faith, while red symbolises vital energy, Christ’s shed blood, sacrifice, and love. These two colours speak to us of Christ’s dual nature — divine and human. The angels hold a cloth and the bloodied thorns of tangled brambles that form the “flagellum”, one of the scourges used during that period. Others depicted in the foreground include the 'azogues', at the centre — scourges with metal balls and bone tips capable of tearing the skin and ripping flesh, leaving it raw. To the right, another type of 'flagrum' is shown, a short-handled whip with several fine iron chains ending in small round metal weights, capable of inflicting terrible injuries on the condemned. Three 'putti' observe the scene from above, each with two wings, a silent symbol of the Holy Trinity present in the moment. Two others, each with four wings, cover their faces, unable to bear the sight of such pain and suffering. These are the cherubim of the prophet Ezekiel in the Bible — guardians of the Glory of God, whose name means 'those who are near' or 'the seconds'. Also present is Mary, his mother. Mary’s role as a mother who suffers the Passion and death of her son, Jesus Christ, places her as a model of unconditional maternal love and as a figure of a spirituality that accompanies Christ in his martyrdom. This is a small work with a clear catechetical and devotional function, designed to elicit an emotional and spiritual response from the faithful — to move their hearts by prompting deep reflection on sacrifice, redemption, and sin.   This lot has been imported, therefore its exportation permit from the Spanish Ministry of Culture is guaranteed and is exempt from spanish culture export duties.