Saint George and the Dragon
Nicudemos Lopez, American (active Truchas, New Mexico), 1895 - 1983
Geography:
Possibly made in Córdova, New Mexico, United States, North and Central America
Possibly made in Truchas, New Mexico, United States, North and Central America
Date:
c. 1955-1960Medium:
Carved cottonwood, leatherDimensions:
18 x 22 1/2 x 13 3/4 inches (45.7 x 57.2 x 34.9 cm) Copyright:
Research inconclusive. Copyright may apply.Curatorial Department:
American ArtObject Location:
1991-76-1Credit Line:
Anonymous gift in memory of Elizabeth Wheatley Bendiner, 1991
Possibly made in Córdova, New Mexico, United States, North and Central America
Possibly made in Truchas, New Mexico, United States, North and Central America
Date:
c. 1955-1960Medium:
Carved cottonwood, leatherDimensions:
18 x 22 1/2 x 13 3/4 inches (45.7 x 57.2 x 34.9 cm) Copyright:
Research inconclusive. Copyright may apply.Curatorial Department:
American ArtObject Location:
Currently not on view
Accession Number:1991-76-1Credit Line:
Anonymous gift in memory of Elizabeth Wheatley Bendiner, 1991
Social Tags [?]
american southwest [x] carved wood [x] carving [x] chip-carving [x] cordova tradition [x] cottonwood [x] courage [x] death [x] dragon [x] dying [x] fantastical creatures [x] folk art [x] heros [x] horse [x] horses [x] leather [x] legend [x] mixed media [x] mythological creatures [x] mythology [x] new mexico [x] patron saint [x] riding [x] saints [x] sculpture [x] slaying [x] standing sculpture [x] us folk art [x] us-born artist [x] wooden plastic [x]Nicudemos Lopez was born in the small village of Córdova (south of Taos), New Mexico, into a family of wood carvers whose descendants continue the tradition to this day. Distinct from the more elaborate style of painted bultos (carved saints) that developed in nineteenth-century New Mexico, the Córdova tradition relies on plain, unpainted wood surfaces, intricate chip-carving, and incised delicate patterns to create simplified forms that communicate a powerful presence.
Nicudemos began carving in the 1930s, but stopped for a number of years while earning a living as a carpenter. He returned to carving in the mid-1950s and in the succeeding decade produced several versions of Saint George and the Dragon, as well as renditions of Michael the Archangel and the Dragon, and Adam and Eve in the Garden.
