Infant Jesus 1750 - 1799

Giuseppe Sanmartino created this small terracotta sculpture of the Infant Jesus, now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Notice how the figure's diminutive size is counterpointed by the dramatic, radiating halo. This contrast immediately establishes a visual tension. The sculptor's meticulous rendering of the child's form is striking, yet also unsettling. The surface is textured with a network of fine cracks, creating an aged appearance that challenges the viewer's perception of innocence. Consider how Sanmartino employs the semiotic language of religious art while subtly destabilizing it. The traditional halo, typically a symbol of divinity, is here exaggerated, almost weaponized, disrupting the harmony of the piece. The figure is presented as both sacred and strangely vulnerable, inviting us to question fixed meanings and categories. This tension, between the divine and the human, prompts us to re-evaluate the cultural codes that shape our understanding.