Design for the Prayer in the Orchard Processional Float

The sculptural designs of Passion scenes established a drama sequence that is documented as having been staged in plays since medieval times. The Museo del Prado holds a drawing of this kind. Possibly an eighteenth-century piece from Spain’s eastern coastal region, it shows the episode of the Prayer in the Orchard. The image is accompanied by some written instructions at the bottom that mention the use of glued cloth in the costumes, a highly effective device in compositions of this type that enhanced their theatricality.

Arias Martínez, Manuel, Darse la mano. Escultura y color en el Siglo de Oro, Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado, 2024, p.296, 301