James Cordova Arts

Retablo, 2003

Hand-adzed wood, home-made gesso, water-based natural pigments, piñon-resin varnish, leather.

Cristo de la Encina (Christ of the Oak)

A colonial Mexican depiction of Christ in a tree that is about to be cut down by a surprised, ax-bearing Native American. Many Christian stories of miraculous images of Christ or the saints appearing in nature(trees, caves, the Earth, etc.) occur across cultures, geography and history. The most famous New Mexican story of a nature-themed santo is the miraculous discovery of a crucifix buried at the current site of the Santuario de Chimayó in Chimayó, New Mexico.