Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a just man, born of the seed of David, who acted as a father to the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who wished to be called the son of Joseph, and was subject to him as a son to his father.
The Church venerates him with special honour as a patron, whom the Lord constituted over his family.
He is depicted twice in our church.
This sculptural ensemble was made by Juan Martínez Montañés.
As is usual in the representations of the Patriarch after the Council of Trent, his features are rejuvenated, the result of a greater devotion to his figure, an active participant in the life of the Holy Family.
Two conflicting sensations are conveyed, the stillness of the anointing that the two figures combine, while their postures, with their arms raised and mantle folded, allude to movement towards the front.
Saint Joseph, with a classicist appearance, focuses his gaze on the Child, showing who is the true protagonist of the couple, and carries the traditional staff of lilies.
This image is attributed to the workshop of Cristóbal de Guadix, the author of the altarpiece at the beginning of the 18th century.
Saint Joseph, with the Child Jesus in his hands and holding the staff of lilies, puts his right foot forward, as a sign that his pilgrimage through life has the Child Jesus as its sole focus.
He does not look at those who pray to him, but gazes at the newborn, thus showing himself to be one of the participants in his care.
Thanks to the exaltation of the figure of Saint Joseph, particularly due to the efforts of various religious orders since the end of the Middle Ages, and particularly due to the Council of Trent, it is common to find chapels dedicated to Saint Joseph in churches and, in an isolated way, in altarpieces.
