*2.5. Scanning Electron Microscopy*

The cross-section samples imbibed in polyester resin were completely covered with graphite adhesive tape leaving the sample uncovered. We applied two strips of aluminum adhesive tape on both sides of the sample to increase its conductivity.

Sample images were captured with a SEM Jeol model JSM-6390LV under low vacuum using 20 kV. Small areas according to the size of each layer were analyzed using EDX, the time of analysis was 100 s. Maps of the cross-section samples were obtained with 3 million counts. The data was processed with the INCA Suite 4.08 software.

#### *2.6. Attenuated Total Reflection-Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy*

Micro-ATR-FTIR (μ-ATR-FTIR) analyses were performed using a Thermo Scientific Nicolet iN10MX spectrometer in attenuated total reflection (ATR) mode with a Ge crystal. The spectra were recorded in the range between 4000 to 675 cm−<sup>1</sup> with an optical aperture of 200 × 200 μm, corresponding to an effective investigated area of 50 × 50 μm, and a spectral resolution of 4 cm−<sup>1</sup> and 64 scans. Maps were recorded with an optical aperture of 40 × 40 μm (effective investigated area of 10 × 10 μm) and a step size of 8 μm. The data was processed with OmnicPicta and Omic32 software.

#### *2.7. Micro Raman Spectroscopy*

μ-Raman analyses were performed with a Bruker Senterra Raman Microscope coupled to an Olympus BX 40 microscope equipped with a CCD camera. The spectra were recorded in the 100–3200 cm−<sup>1</sup> range using a 785 nm He–Ne laser source and with excitation powers of 9 mW and 1 mW and a spectral resolution of 3–5 cm<sup>−</sup>1. Acquisition time was 5–10 s and 5–10 accumulations to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio. Spectra were processed with OPUS and Origin Pro software.

#### **3. Results**

### *3.1. Historical Research*

Unfortunately, little historical documentation about the sculpture has survived. Therefore, a partial history has been reconstructed by us using the documentation regarding where the sculpture has been located and examining the constant changes through the centuries.

The *Nuestra Señora de la Soledad y el Santo Entierro de Cristo* confraternity—constituted only by Spaniards—was founded in 1590 in the capital of the Kingdom of New Galicia

(an autonomous kingdom that was part of the New Spain viceroyalty and today is the Guadalajara city in the Jalisco state) in the San Miguel Royal Hospital; its principal function was to organize the representations and processions for the Holy Friday that, according to historical documentation, was done for the first time in 1595 [35]. The confraternity commissioned the sculpture of the *Señor del Santo Entierro*, together with the sculpture of the *Señora de la Soledad*, for the liturgical representations of the Holy Friday.

A historical description of the confraternity procession indicates that the *Señor del Santo Entierro* sculpture was descended from the cross—the reason why the arms of the sculpture were articulated—and placed in a richly decorated urn, which was followed by angel statues holding the *Arma Christi* [35], which were also a visual didactic element for the evangelization. The last procession performed by the confraternity was in 1866 [35]. These religious performances were very popular and useful from a didactic and evangelical perspective in the early years of the Spanish colonization [36]. The processional uses of the images are directly linked to their materiality; the maize stem sculptures were famous because of their low weight. The mural paintings of Huejotzingo (Puebla state) and Teitipac (Oaxaca state) monasteries depict similar examples of the Holy Friday processions done in New Spain [36], which are still performed nowadays in Tzintzuntzan (Michoacan state) where another maize stem statue, *Señor del Rescate*, is used to represent the descendant of dead Christ's body, followed by a procession [37].

The *Nuestra Señora de la Soledad y el Santo Entierro de Cristo* confraternity was associated with the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran in Rome in 1598 [38], the same year in which the sculptures were moved from the hospital and placed in the Shrine chapel inside the cathedral. Because of the great devotion towards the two sculptures, in 1599, a specific chapel was built for them, and by 1658, their own church was built in a park next to the cathedral [39,40].

Because of the "law of tolerance of sects" enacted in 1926 and the subsequent Cristero War [41], the church gradually reduced its activity and finally closed on 2 October 1933 by presidential decree [42], passing to the administration of the Federal Finance offices, and in 1935, it became an archive. Finally, in 1949, was destroyed as part of an urban modification program planed by Ignacio Díaz Morales and promoted by governor Jesús González Gallo [43]. After the closure of the church, the sculptures were placed initially in the cathedral and later in different private houses until the construction of the current church of Our Lady of Solitude, designed by Pedro Castellanos de Lambley. Its construction started in 1950, but today it remains unfinished [44].

#### *3.2. Stylistic Analysis and Workshop Adscription*

To ascribe the sculpture to a specific workshop, we performed a stylistic analysis of the sculpture. It is of natural size (170 cm) and the representation is anatomically correct. Two main elements allow the adscription of the sculpture to a specific workshop: the loincloth and the head. The loincloth is simple and short; it represents a single white cloth wrapped around the loin from right to left. The Spanish sculptor Alonso Berruguete (1490–1561) used this type of loincloth in his wooden sculptures [45]. Amador Marrero [14] identified similar loincloth designs in the early maize stem sculptures (around 1570) ascribed to the Cortés workshop. However, in the *Señor del Santo Entierro* sculpture, the loincloth is simpler; we suppose it is an intermediate stage between the early sculptures from the 1570s and the sculptures made in 1580s that have a simpler loincloth design (Figure 2). Regarding the facial representation, the beard is the only element we can consider, since the hair is a modification: it is short and forked and the mustache surrounds the mouth.

Based on these elements, we proposed the ascription of this sculpture to the Cortés workshop, associated with the central region, particularly Mexico City. It is probably closer to the production of the 1580s, in agreement with the historical documentation of the confraternity.

**Figure 2.** Comparison between different loincloth designs. (**a**) Loincloth general design identified in the Cortés workshop sculptures from the 1570s; (**b**) loincloth found in the Cortés workshop sculptures from the 1580s; (**c**) detail of the loincloth from the *Señor del Santo Entierro* sculpture.
