San Miguel Arcangel

NameRetablo

Artist Artist Not Recorded

Place collectedNew Mexico, United States, North America

MediumTempera, gesso, wood

Dimensions49 x 28 cm, 1.2 to 2 cm thick

Credit LineMuseum of International Folk Art, Gift of the Historical Society of New Mexico, A5.1952.64

Object numberA5.1952.64

ProvenancePurchased with a lot of retablos from Julius Gans.

DescriptionSmoothly hand-planed pine panel with bevel at right edge. Possibly a slab next to bark which would have forced this treatment of edge and account for the convexity of panel.
Figure fills full length of board, has blue tunic with red facings and white dots, red frilled cuffs at elbows, white frilled collar, light blue pointed helmet with black plume, pink wings, black sock-like footwear, no toes exposed. Holds sword and lance, no scales, stands on dragon with curled serpent tail and human head crowned with five spikes like crown and two at ends suggesting burro ears (crown, flames or horns?) From mouth of this Lucifer-dragon comes a solid black shape flaring like a horn, ending in 7 points. Flames? Smoke? Red and blue swags at top, blue and blue-green treelike fillers at sides. In most typical style of Rafael Aragon, boldly drawn, typical features, hands, colors, etc.