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Convent of Saint Francis and the Church of the Good Jesus of Glory (Sacred Art Museum)
São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil
Religious Architecture
Although officially founded in 1657, the construction of this convent only began in 1693 and the work seems to have been divided into two distinct phases, visible in the façade, where the lower section belongs to the three-arched galilee style established in Ipojuca in the mid-17th century, whereas the upper part, with a broken cornice and a pediment with volutes, exhibits later stylistic features dating from the second half of the 18th century. These two stages of construction can also be seen in the way the builders seem to have run out of the stone used in the arches, pilasters and fenestration on the lower half of the façade, which has been replaced by the same painted plaster used to complete these features in the upper half. The interior, which also follows the Ipojuca model, is notable for the large Chapel of the Third Order (with an interesting painted ceiling) and the adjoining areas, where the Sacred Art Museum is now located. The cloister differs from those of other Brazilian convents in the unique prominence of the stone covering the pillars and arches as well as the parapet of the upper floor. In addition to the abundance of stone, it is also notable for its intricate carvings with scrolls, fluting, and triangular, quadrangular and rectangular panels, using either plain or plant motifs, a decorative density that is echoed in the carving of the wooden roof frame. These architectural and sculptural shapes suggest that the (anonymous) craftsman of the cloister based his work on European engravings, but the freedom with which he diverged from these models indicate that he must have had very limited contact with buildings from (or more directly inspired by) Europe.
Nuno Senos