New Mexican Retablo by Pedro Antonio Fresquis

Pedro Antonio Fresquis

Circa 1800 | Item 2332

This is a large, pine retablo measuring about 14″ by 10″ by Pedro Antonio Fresquis. It shows Christ on the cross with a neutral background. This is a strong and impressionable retablo with Christ a much lighter colored figure against a consistently darker background. He is flanked on each side by large vases filled with flowers.

The technique of sgraffito (a decorative technique, originating from the Italian word for “to scratch,” where a contrasting layer of material is removed from a surface to reveal a different colored layer beneath) is used to further embelish the designs. Sgraffito is also used on the boarder going around the whole, interior space. The backside is wonderfully irregular from the chipping away of wood by the use of an adze. The initials “MD” are scratched into the back. According to earlier sources, this retablo came out of the estate of Mabel Doge Luhan of Taos, NM. While there has been some paint loss towards the lower part of the board, what is there is very stable and there is no evidence of continual loss.

Price
$5,875
Dimensions 14" tall, 10 1/4" wide
Condition Good with missing paint on the front surface, minor restoration to one small background zone.
Provenance Reportedly came out of the Mabel Dodge Luhan collection. More recently, a private collection in Santa Fe, NM
New Mexican retablo of pine wood by Pedro Antonio Fresquis, circa 1800 of Christ on the cross with Sgraffito and water based paints