Attributed to Nicario Jiménez Quispe (B 1957) Peruvian/American, Retablo Cross. Not signed. Many colors and patterns, depicting the crucifixion of Jesus. 

Condition: Small cracks throughout. 

Size: 11 1/2 x 6 x 22 1/2 in. 

#3425 #16 . 

Nicario Jiménez Quispe was born in 1957 in the village of Alcamenca in Ayacucho, Peru, high up in the Andes Mountain range. His father and grandfather were both makers of retablo, devotional folk art using Catholic iconography that commonly sits above an altar. He soon followed in their footsteps, crafting traditional Andean altarpieces as well as many wooden figures, animals, and other objects arranged in boxes to tell a story. His work swiftly outpaced his father, and he received several awards that allowed him to move to Lima, where he studied sculpture at the Pontifical Catholic University as well as the National Superior Autonomous School of Fine Arts. He soon established a workshop, making pieces based on pre-Hispanic Andean art, traditional Catholic themes, and his own family influences. His altarpiece figurines are made by hand with a mix of boiled potato and gypsum powder, then meticulously painted with local mineral compounds combined with corn oil. His work has appeared in major museum exhibitions, including a permanent collection displayed at the Smithsonian Institution. Nicario has taught at universities and international conferences, and in 2012 he was the recipient of a Florida Folk Heritage Award, which prompted him to relocate permanently to Naples, Florida. He now creates retablos that feature different stories of the struggles of Latino immigrants and scenes of Hispanic neighborhoods in South Florida.

Small cracks throughout.