Woodcut by Carlos Hermosilla Alvarez
Chilean, 1905 - 1991
Juan XXIII, 1978
84.6.1
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Joel H Rosenthal
Collection of the Haggerty Museum of Art, Marquette University
Marquette’s Haggerty Art Museum holds a beautiful and intricate woodcut portrait of Pope John XIII by Chilean Carlos Hermosilla Alvarez. (1905 -1991) The woodcut was displayed at the Haggerty in an exhibition titled, “Que es hispanico?” (What is Hispanic?), from September to December this last year.
As described in the Haggerty brochure by Scott
Dale, the artist is a “Chilean poet, humanitarian, beloved art
professor, realist, print maker, and graphic artist.” The bold portrait
expresses fortitude and hope emerging from tragedy yet human potential. The background of the portrait shows the
crosses of Calvary, the suffering face of the crucified Jesus, Vatican’s St.
Peter’s and Pope Benedict XV. The title
of John XIII’s encyclical Peace on Earth appears
in Spanish – Paz en la Tierra. The ‘z’ in Paz is reversed – it must be that typos
in wood cuts are irreversible. Carlos
Hermosilla Alvarez experienced what he expresses in art. Scott Dale reports
that Hermosilla Alvarez suffered physically from various serious ailments. The artist, like the poet Pablo Neruda, also
had to endure the violent, U.S. sponsored regime of Chilean dictator Augusto
Pinochet.
We can relate to the artist’s message today. The crosses in the background and the
suffering face of Jesus mirror the suffering of undocumented children and families
torn apart by a broken immigration system. Alvarez experienced the injustices
and suffering perpetrated on the Chilean people after the September 11 golpe del estado in 1973 by Augusto
Pinochet.
The forgotten Pope Benedict XV appears in
the background. Scott Dale in the Haggerty brochure says John XXIII referred to
Benedict XV as “the most sympathetic of
the popes he had met.” Their common bond is understandable. John
XIII as a chaplain and hospital orderly experienced the horrors of World War I. Benedict XV did what he could do to alleviate
the suffering and offered a peace proposal that was rejected by the warring
nations. Even French Dominican A.G.
Sertillanges, O.P. preached against the peace proposal,[1]
but after the war U.S. president Wilson used it as a model for his fourteen
point path to peace.[2]
John XXIII’s encyclical Pacem in Terris,
written just before he died, (Peace on Earth, 1963) continues his
struggle for peace by setting a strong theme for Vatican II. The woodcut has
the Spanish title in the background of the portrait – Paz en la Tierra. In Pacem
in Terris, John sees the way to peace through justice. He elaborates on previous papal encyclicals
by stating that workers have the right and duty to form unions. Also the public has the duty to support
unions. (1:44) This is certainly in
opposition to the Pinochet regime.
St.
Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican as a background for the woodcut is a reminder
of the Vatican II Council. John XXIII in
his opening speech emphasized mercy rather than condemnation. This too is the
theme for the present pope. Francis has
called for a holy year of mercy.
Documents of Vatican II attempted to break
down barriers so all could cooperate and work for peace. It offered reconciliation with atheists,
Protestants, and non-Christians. Dictator
of Spain, Franco, favored by Pius XII, received a cold shoulder from John XXIII
and the Council. The Vatican’s cooperation with the injustice of fascism was
ended. John XXIII on his death bed said:
“The secret of my ministry is in the crucifix….Those
open arms have been the program of my pontificate: they mean that Christ died
for all, for all. No one is excluded
from his love, from his forgiveness.” [3]
John XXIII and Vatican Council II attempted
to change the identity of the Roman Catholic Church from self-absorbing righteous
piousness to ecumenism in search of justice and peace.
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