Translation of an article of Willy Tadeo Layug and Jesús de la Verdad in Diario Sur.

 A sculptor intervenes in the carving of the Lord of Truth in his workshop in the Philippines.

Wilfredo Tadeo-Layug, one of the leading names in sacred art in the Asian country, also carved the Virgen del Sagrario de Carranque last year

 

The Lord of Truth, from the Parish Group of Nuestro Padre Jesús de la Verdad before Caiaphas and María Santísima del Sagrario, is already worshiping in the parish of San José Obrero, in the Carranque neighborhood. The image, the work of Sevillian Mario Zambrano from 2015, has been subjected to an intervention process, by the Filipino sculptor Wilfredo Tadeo-Layug, with a workshop in the district of Betis, in the province of Pampanga, and one of the leading names in the sacred art from that South Asian country, who, previously, in 2020, executed the new Virgen del Sagrario, which replaced the piece also carved by Zambrano.

As recalled by the art historian and artistic adviser to the pro-brotherhood, José Manuel Leiva Aldea, both effigy have been in procession until 2019. However, in the midst of a pandemic, «the corporation decided to bet on the replacement of its Marian owner and contacted the sculptor Willy Tadeo, who is the architect of the new Virgen del Sagrario”, explains Leiva. Likewise, satisfied with the work of the Filipino artist, the brothers decided to send the bust of Jesús de la Verdad to the Philippines «so that he could finish the areas that the first author had left unfinished, such as, for example, the back of the head, which he had a mass in his hair that was amorphous and motionless”, points out the art historian The work of adaptation and completion of the image of the Lord has consisted "in the restructuring and anatomical correction, both of the bust and of the hands, including the re-polychrome and patina of said parts, offering it a more human look", comments Leiva, who adds that the sculptor, "in addition to having notably improved the physiognomy of the effigy's face, has removed part of the abundant lock of hair on the right side that prevented the correct vision of the face," he reveals.

On the other hand, the restorers Miguel Ángel Robles Gálvez and Marta García Plaza have been in charge of the body and the base. Thus, the task of both has consisted "in adapting the bust to the body, finishing the body and the feet, making them anatomically more correct, and changing body posture to give it a more real and natural movement," explains Miguel Ángel Robles.

With regard to the pedestal, the original one has been replaced by a new, larger one, made of pine wood, and which has a carved inscription that reads 'Veritas'. "The substitution was motivated after removing the stucco, since they showed very poor assemblies that put the material stability of the image at risk," says Robles.

With regard to the pedestal, the original one has been replaced by a new, larger one, made of pine wood, and which has a carved inscription that reads 'Veritas'. "The substitution was motivated after removing the stucco, since they showed very poor assemblies that put the material stability of the image at risk," says Robles.

Lastly, the restorers have applied re-polychrome and patination, similar to that of Layug on the feet, which brings a character of unity to the whole image and restores its devotional condition. In this way, the Truth and Tabernacle Parish Group restores to worship a sculptural image "that could be considered practically new, also counting on the adaptation of the original body, with obvious anatomical deficiencies", concludes José Manuel Leiva.

At the end of the work, it can be seen that the effigy "follows the postulates of contemporary Cordovan imagery, specifically that of Francisco Romero Zafra, with whom Willy Tadeo-Layug trained and with whom he maintains a close friendship," adds Leyva, while commenting that the two headlines of Verdad and Sagrario "create an aesthetic line that aims to be maintained over the next few years with a view to growing as a brotherhood corporation," adds the pro-brotherhood's artistic advisor.

The Lord of Truth, who, like the Virgin of the Tabernacle, parades in the afternoon and evening of Passion Saturday, represents the moment of the religious process in which Jesus declares himself the Son of God in front of the High Priest Caiaphas, who he rips his clothes in the presence of his father-in-law Anás and a Sanhedrin soldier, a work that is also being carried out by Layug in his workshop in the Philippines.