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Twelve Prophets (Profetas de Congonhas)

Twelve life-size soapstone sculptures by Aleijadinho (Antônio Francisco Lisboa), carved c.1800–1805 for the atrium of the Basilica of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos in Congonhas, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The twelve Old Testament prophets are arranged in pairs on pedestals flanking the stairway to the church, each in dynamic twisting poses of prophetic proclamation. Considered the masterwork of Latin American Baroque sculpture and among the finest works of the entire Baroque period globally. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Scholarly Significance

Aleijadinho's Twelve Prophets — masterwork of Brazilian Baroque sculpture; BFA pioneer axes: iconography (Catholic eschatology + Brazilian Baroque) and political context (late colonial Brazil).

Notes

  • ·The twelve prophets depicted: Amos, Baruch, Daniel, Ezekiel, Habakkuk, Hosea, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Joel, Jonas, Nahum, Obadiah.
  • ·Aleijadinho reportedly worked with tools strapped to his wrists due to the disease that had taken his fingers.
  • ·The prophets are positioned in dialogic pairs, creating a visual conversation across the stairway.
  • ·Painted decorative elements (clothing colors, flesh tones) by Manuel da Costa Ataíde, Aleijadinho's regular collaborator.