Arthur Lopez is one of the leading santos carvers in New Mexico.  This piece is one of his more complex carvings, with multiple layers.  It is entitled, “Pano Dulce de Santo Veronica”.   It has St. Veronica and the veil with an image of Christ.  She set in a sculpted backdrop painted in a traditional New Mexico style.

Arthur said of this piece;

The name Veronice, in Latin, means “vera Icon” or true image.  Legend states that as Christ was talking to Calvary, his face dripping with sweat and blood, Saint Veronica, a bystander, was moved with compassion.  She approached Jesus and offered Him a cloth, likely a veil, which He accepted and used to wipe his face.  The image of his face was subsequently impreted on the cloth.  She is the patroness of photogrpahes for captureing the “first image”.

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.  

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.