Iconography of Havana’s Colon Cemetery
Photo Feature by Irina Pino
HAVANA TIMES – In cemeteries, peace reigns. People visit their family members or friends as a way of getting closer, maintaining an intimate dialogue, silently crying, without anyone interfering with the sorrow being experienced.
There, beauty is still; statues of angels are abundant, messengers between God and His creatures, representing the merger of the physical and spiritual worlds, with the power to ascend and descend from earth to heaven and vice versa.
Their categories vary: there are guardian angels, who look over the graves, and penitent angels (in relation to the deceased), whose gaze is directed toward the sky, in prayerful poses, or they may be crying, with their heads bowed.
Many angels carry objects in their hands, such as laurel wreaths, candles, a cross, an anchor, roses, torches with flames pointing downward, and other attributes that serve to celebrate or identify the deceased. And there are angels who hold the body to guide it on the way to heaven.
Cherubs represent eternal life and are placed where children rest. A cherub is a child angel with wings. Ezekiel says that cherubs can only be seen by those who reach a higher dimension, and the heavens open up for them.
Cemeteries abound with female statues and crucified Christs. Women wear tunics and have bare feet, radiating love and purity of soul. In contrast, the Christs display immolation and suffering.
Our Colón Necropolis possesses a rich iconography in funeral art, with various architectural styles. The splendor of domes, arches, gates, and stained-glass windows stands out, accompanied by beautiful sculptures. Each artist has left their personal mark and talent in the work they were called to create.
All elements reflect customs, eras, and social standing. But they also recreate stories of life and death, so that we do not forget their passage on earth.
