Carved Wooden Sculpture of San José by Patrociñio Barela [SOLD]

Patrociñio Barela was a simple, uneducated man who was gifted with the ability to see the spirit inside a piece of wood and bring it to life. His work is modern, yet primitive.

Barela was given the task of repairing a figure of San Antonio for the local church. The story goes that after working on the bulto, he could not sleep. The following day after work, he found a piece of wood and began carving. He went on to be the first Mexican-American artist to be featured at the Museum of Modern Art as part of an exhibition of work by artists employed by the Works Progress Administration. He was hailed by Time Magazine as “The Discovery of the Year.”

Barela remained in Taos, and continued throughout his life to carve. His work is sometimes religious in nature but often as not, he would carve scenes or people engaged in everyday activities. It is said that he believed the individual pieces of wood determined what was inside them that needed to come out.

This piece is a carving of Saint Joseph, or San José, carrying the infant Jesus. The rustic piece, although simply carved, evokes a feeling of reverence. The facial features are rendered in Barela’s elongated style. The father is gently cradling the infant in one arm, the other arm is holding a staff. The fine grain of the wood adds depth to the art. The artist’s signature “PAT.BAR” is engraved on the bottom.  

Included with the carving is a book of images of Barela’s work along with verbal explanations of the sculptures that Barela gave to his friend, Wendell Anderson. The book was published before Barela’s untimely death in 1964.

Condition: this Carved Wooden Sculpture of San José by Patrociñio Barela is  is in excellent condition.

Provenance: from a collector in California

Recommended Reading: Spirit Ascendant: The Art and Life of Patrocino Barela by Edward Gonzales, et al.