Sagrada Família, sculptural group from the 17th/18th century

Holy Family, sculptural group with carved base, Portugal, 17th/18th century, in polychrome, upholstered, and gilded wood, with silver attributes. A sculptural group representing the Holy Family, composed of three figures integrated into a rectangular, framed and carved base. The figures—Our Lady with the Child Jesus on her lap and Saint Joseph—are arranged frontally, slightly separated from each other, but unified by their formal expressiveness and symbolic composition. The crowned Our Lady wears a draped, upholstered, and gilded mantle over a tunic in shades of red, and holds the Child Jesus on her lap. The Child Jesus is depicted naked and with open arms, with soft modeling and affectionate gestures. Saint Joseph holds a silver lily stick and wears silver splendor. The draperies are sculpted to represent broad, turgid folds, with upholstery, gilding, and original polychrome. The carved and gilded wooden base features a central decoration in the shape of a winged angel's head, flanked by friezes of acanthus leaves. The piece strikes a balance between symbolic solemnity and ornamental detail, representing Portuguese sacred sculpture of the transition between the 17th and 18th centuries.