Crucifixion

NameRetablo

Artist Artist unrecorded

Place collectedNew Mexico, United States, North America

MediumSawmill board wood, tempera, gesso

Dimensions35.6 to 36.3 cm high, 32.6 6o 33.6 cm wide, 1.5 to 2 cm thick

Credit LineMuseum of International Folk Art, Gift of the Historical Society of New Mexico, A5.1952.62

Object numberA5.1952.62

ProvenancePurchased with a lot of retablos from Julius Gans.

DescriptionPanel has dark red corners, heavy painted oval of b/w lines around wide dark brown band, inside this red band. Wide brown band has crude dots on it, may represent beads of rosary. Crucifix is on indigo ground, is not centered. Figure painted in fine line style, delicate features, eyes closed, blood trickles on face, right side of breast, hands, below loincloth, knees and feet. Dark cross has clearly-lettered INRI at top. At bottom is dark blue orb and what looks like skull below feet (obscured by losses and varnish). At left of feet are three sprays of red and black leaves. At right of feet, a dark brown striped form, like a rock (?), with a basket-hilted sword pointing to upper right. Into hilt are pointed three large nails. What looks like crown of thorns between sword and rock. At left, under figure's right hand, is a large clearly drawn cypher, MA. In style, this resembles panel at Harwood, SL 16/23, of the Virgin. When this was cleaned of later water color paiinting, etc., the background was of same blue, the composition is similar, proportions, features, end sprays of leaves.