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, “Sagrada Corazón de Maria” or “Sacred Heart of Mary (Cross)”. It is a wood carving cross with the Sacred Heart of Mary at the center.

Arthur said of this piece;

The Immaculate Heart of Mary is a devotional name used to refer to the interior life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, her joys and sorrows, her virtues and perfections, her love for God, and her Divine Son and her compassionate love for mankind. Her heart is typically on fire, which emphasizes the intensity of her love for God and for humanity. Next there are roses that encircle her heart. These symbolize her purity, brought about by her Immaculate Conception, creating within her a most pure heart.  In chapter 2 of the Gospel of Luke, it is twice stated that Mary kept all things in her heart, that there she might ponder over them. Luke 2:35 recounts the prophecy of Simeon that her heart would be pierced with a sword. This image (the pierced heart) is the most popular representation of the Immaculate Heart.

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.