Sevillian school; 17th century. "Infant Jesus". Carved and polychrome wood. Measurements: 73 x 4 x 22 cm. Devotional image of round bulk carved in wood and polychromed, representing the naked Baby Jesus (originally, he would have been wearing rich royal clothes made to measure), with kinky hair, standing on a golden base and carved with acanthus, raising his right hand as a sign of blessing and with his left hand forward. It is a magnificently anatomically worked carving of extraordinary naturalism, following the Baroque canons of the Spanish school. The 16th century in Seville was a period of enormous economic and therefore artistic boom, and it was in the last quarter of this century that Juan Martínez Montañés, who is considered to be one of the leading figures of the Sevillian school of sculpture and whose style combined a certain classicism with, by now, a slight baroque style, took up residence in the city. Furthermore, his workshop was a kind of "training school" for artists who would go on to shape the Sevillian Baroque in sculpture: mention should be made of Juan de Mesa, Alonso Cano (both of whom introduced a greater Baroque style), etc. In the second third of the 17th century, José Arce or Aertz introduced more Bernese Baroque forms, and Pedro Roldán was the head and head of an important family workshop (also of note were his daughter María Luisa Roldán, his grandson Pedro Duque y Cornejo, etc.). Towards the end of the period, Francisco Ruiz Gijón, Benito de Hita y Castillo, José Montes de Oca (still following the forms of Montañés), etc., are often mentioned. Works of this type were very common in the Baroque period, with the main aim of reaching the faithful through sentiment, and although they were also produced for churches and private oratories, they were very common in women s convents as it was considered in the 17th century that certain themes were not appropriate for women s sensibilities.