Arthur Lopez – “El Ángel de la Navidad” Wood Carving Nativity Scene

12.75" W x 5.5" L x 19" h

$ 5,400.00

Arthur Lopez is one of the leading santos carvers in New Mexico.  This piece is a retablo with carved and painted detail work.  It is entitled, “El Ángel de la Navidad” or Angel of the Nativity”. It is a wood carving nativity scene at the center of an angel.

At the back of the piece is written;

And the angel said to them, Fear not. I bring you good tidings of great joy. Glory to god in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward mankind. Luke 2:10-14

The process for Arthur’s work is bound in tradition.  After the piece is carved, is covered in gesso (a glue made from rabbit hide) which is allowed to dry and then sanded.  It is painted with both natural and watercolor pigment.  Natural colored pigments, such as brown, are derived from black walnut hulls.   These are the time involved and historic foundations for his work.  

We are pleased to present this amazing body of work from one of the leading Santos artists in the country.  Arthur’s artistic expression continues to break through the history of Traditional Spanish Colonial art in New Mexico. Each piece demonstrates his expressive ideas utilizing and honoring traditional techniques to arrive at his uniquely contemporary one of a kind creations. Consistently Arthur has pushed the boundaries of the New Mexico Santero tradition that has placed him a the forefront of his craft.

Arthur’s work is found in numerous museum and public collections, including Albuquerque Museum of Art & History,  Denver Art Museum,  Freedom Museum (911 Memorial at Ground Zero), Harwood Museum of Art, Museum of International Folk Art,  Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, and the State of New Mexico Permanent Art Collection.

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