Por trás dos objetos históricos: a presença dos artífices indígenas nas oficinas do Colégio de Santo Alexandre (1703-1759)

Abstract

Inaugurated in 1719, the Church of Santo Alexandre, located in the historic part of Belém, is one of the most beautiful examples of missionary art made by the religious of the Society of Jesus in the Amazon. Founded by the sculptor brother João Xavier Traer, the sculpture workshop of the College of the same name was responsible for producing the pieces that adorn the church, with indigenous craftsmen as the main workforce. Among the carvings is that of the Chapel of St. Michael the Archangel. The aim of this dissertation is to analyze the carved face in the Chapel of St. Michael the Archangel and find out who were the indigenous artisans who took part in the College's sculpture workshop and who were the possible authors of the chapel's altarpiece. During this production, in addition to labor, the indigenous craftsmen's knowledge of the products of the land (wood, resins and pigments) was used, as well as the usual tools used to make the pieces of their culture. However, even with the application of these materials and techniques, the pieces produced belong to the imagery of Catholicism, classifying them as a mestizo art, with knowledge from different cultures.