Reredo/Altar Screen (1991)
Watercolor on Pine
Ramon Jose Lopez (b. 1951)
Santa Fe
Capitol Art Selection Committee Purchase
Capitol Art Collection, Capitol Art Foundation
Ramon Jose Lopez, a santero, metalsmith, and furniture maker based in Santa Fe, has studied the techniques of nineteenth-century Spanish colonial santeros and adapted these historical practices to his own work. This reredo (altar screen) was carved and painted using traditional hand-adzing and polychrome methods.
In his research on the santeros of northern New Mexico, Lopez has been especially influenced by the work of Rafael Aragón, an early santero whose devotional paintings and carvings are still found in New Mexico’s villages. Lopez’s goal is to emulate the integrity and craftsmanship of Aragón and others, understanding that there is no substitute for time—the time required to prepare materials and carry out the detailed handwork that gives these pieces their spiritual presence and artistic power.
Iconography
The images on the reredo/altar screen are:
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Top row, left to right: La Pietà, Christ Crucified, San José with Christ Child
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Bottom row, left to right: San Ignacio, San Miguel, San Juan Nepomuceno
This work of art, by a nationally recognized fine artist working in a historical tradition, reflects one facet of New Mexico’s unique religious and cultural heritage. It is presented as a cultural artifact and not as an endorsement of any religious group or viewpoint by the State of New Mexico.
About the Artist: Ramon Jose Lopez
Ramon Jose Lopez is an accomplished santero and traditional artist based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Known for his devotion to preserving Spanish Colonial religious art forms, Lopez creates carved and painted works—including altar screens, retablos, and devotional figures—using historically accurate tools, pigments, and techniques.
He is deeply committed to the authenticity of process, believing that traditional craftsmanship honors the spiritual and cultural roots of the work. Lopez’s pieces often appear in collections that document New Mexico’s living traditions and Hispano artistic lineage.
