Santa Rosalia de Palermo

NamePainting

Artist Artist unrecorded

Place collectedNew Mexico, United States, North America

MediumPine wood, tempera, gesso

Dimensions20 x 13 to 13.5 cm, 1.6 to 2 cm thick

Credit LineMuseum of International Folk Art, Gift of the Historical Society of New Mexico, A5.1952.69

Object numberA5.1952.69

ProvenancePurchased with a lot of retablos from Julius Gans.

DescriptionFigure faces to left, inclines head, holds crucifix in both hands. She has open-pointed crown, long pointed sleeves which, together with a fold of stuff hanging down her right side, are gray while the dress is black. An altar of stepped shape is drawn by means of black and red lines with red dots. On this is the most elementary skull. Right side of panel is filled with decorative black and red dots, scallops and a red zigzag border line which continues over top to form part of altar outline. The crucifix has a full figure delicately drawn in red and black, more detailed and in tinier scale, than the rest of the panel. The type of face is like that found in CW-R-11, a Trinity, and CW-R-111, a multiple figures panel, and A5.1952.58. The type is not common and in subjects chosen by this santero he seems to have had a taste for the relatively uncommon also.