Iconological Analysis of The Mineiro Justice System

Abstract

This article develops an iconological and iconographic analysis of the architecture of Santuário de Bom Jesus de Matosinhos, in Congonhas do Campo, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The study's orienting theme involves the distinct representations of justice in the history of colonial Mineiro law, which manifests in works of religious art, promoting the encounter between the history of law and religion, namely 17th century Catholicism. It focuses on the Chapels, which represent the Steps of the Passion of Christ, and the Prophets of the Basilica's churchyard, uniting the history of law with religious baroque/rococó art from the latter 18th and early 19th centuries. The central hypothesis is that Aleijadinho's Steps may have anticipated a recurrent iconological element in the images of Tiradentes in the Brazilian Republic. Essentially, it likens his figure to Christ, characterizing a dimension that transcends justice and revolves around heroism that brings salvation.