{"object":[{"sourceId":{"label":"Source ID","value":"1913"},"copyright":{"label":"Copyright","value":"The American Folk Art Museum believes this work to be in the public domain."},"creditline":{"label":"Credit Line","value":"Anonymous gift"},"endDate":{"label":"End Date","value":"1900"},"sortNumber":{"label":"Sort Number","value":"1976     2    1"},"invno":{"label":"Accession number","value":"1976.2.1"},"medium":{"label":"Medium","value":"Gesso and paint on wood with iron and leather"},"geographyPlaceregion":{"label":"Place/Region","value":"Vicinity east of Santa Fe"},"media":{"label":"Media","value":{"mediaURL":"https://collection.folkartmuseum.org/internal/media/dispatcher/606/full","mediaDepartment":"Object Photographs","mediaType":"Image","mediaId":"606"}},"title":{"label":"Title","value":"Bulto"},"geographyCity":{"value":"Vicinity east of Santa Fe"},"textEntriesWebsitedisplaytext":{"value":["José Benito Ortega was a prolific, itinerant santero whose carved and painted figures represent the \u201clast flowering\u201d of the classical tradition of saint making in northern New Mexico. Traveling on foot from his home in La Cueva to the villages east of Santa Fe in Mora, San Miguel, and Colfax Counties, he created bultos, sculptural images of popular saints and other holy personages for use in the devotional practices of the Hispanic households of the region. He also carved images for use in moradas, the local chapters or meetinghouses of the Brotherhood of Our Father Jesus Nazarene, more commonly known as the Penitentes. Providing mutual assistance and support for its members, the Brotherhood became known for its public acts of penitence during Holy Week in imitation of the Passion of Christ.In contrast to his household saints, which generally are not much larger than two feet in height, Ortega\u2019s Penitente sculptures are imposing figures that stand as high as five feet and most often depict the Crucified Christ. This bulto is a morada piece and is similar to others attributed to Ortega. William Wroth, the author of several authoritative studies of the santos of New Mexico, has observed that the artist\u2019s treatment of the features of his figures \u201cis virtually the same for every piece he made. . . . The eyes protrude and stare, the nose is quite large and slightly turned up, the chin is clearly defined, often slightly pointed.\u201d In addition, the inverted V of the figure\u2019s rib cage is common to many Ortega works, and the decorative patterning on the cross may also be found in other figures by the artist. Unlike earlier santeros, Ortega often used excessive amounts of gesso in the modeling of features, rather than carving them.It is not clear whether Ortega worked alone or with family members or maintained a taller, or workshop. Although a nephew asserted that the artist did not have a helper, Wroth suggests the possibility of a workshop under Ortega\u2019s direction. Identification has been made of two related groups of bultos from the Mora area that share many of the stylistic characteristics of Ortega\u2019s work but appear to have been executed by other makers. In one of these groups, now referred to as the School of José Benito Ortega I, the faces of the carved figures \u201care longer and narrower than Ortega\u2019s, with sharp, slender noses\u201d and the torsos are elongated and narrow. The fact that at least one figure of the Crucified Christ associated with this school is shown with a distinctive rectangular loincloth almost identical to the one illustrated here may suggest that this bulto is the work of a follower of Ortega rather than of Ortega himself.In 1907, after his wife\u2019s death, Ortega left his home in La Cueva to take up residence with his children. Although he lived for another thirty-four years, he never carved another bulto. Gerard C. Wertkin, \"Bulto,\" in Stacy C. Hollander, American Anthem: Masterworks from the American Folk Art Museum (New York: Harry N. Abrams in association with American Folk Art Museum, 2001), 360-61.","José Benito Ortega was a prolific, itinerant New Mexican santero or maker of saints. The work of the santero was crucial in bringing the sanctity of faith into the devotional practices of households dispersed in remote areas throughout the Hispanic Southwest. By the time Ortega was working in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, the classical tradition of saint-making in northern New Mexico was on the wane. The new clergy was advocating the replacement of idiosyncratic hand-carved bultos, sculptural images of popular saints and other holy personages, with conventional mass-produced plaster figures. There was also a movement to discredit the use of such \"pagan\" images altogether. Yet Ortega continued to find custom in the villages east of Santa Fe in Mora, San Miguel, and Colfax Counties. Traveling by foot from his home in La Cueva, he supplied the demand for religious figures for domestic use and also carved images for use in moradas, the local chapters or meetinghouses of the Brotherhood of Our Father Jesus Nazarene, more commonly known as the Penitentes, who reenacted the Passion of Christ in public acts of penitence during Holy Week. The figures that Ortega created for the Penitentes are distinguished from those that he carved for household devotion in their larger scale, often standing as high as five feet, and most depict Christ on the cross. This bulto is just such a morada piece with Ortega\u2019s characteristic treatment of the figure\u2019s rib cage as an inverted \"V\" and the decorative painted patterning on the cross. With an economy of intervention, Ortega has captured the sorrow and human dimension of the crucifixion through the emaciated body painfully stretched and attenuated, the weight of the figure\u2019s dropped head and closed eyes, the path of blood traced along the arms, legs, and feet. Unlike earlier santeros, Ortega used cheap scrap millboard to rough out his figures with minimal carving and excessive amounts of gesso to build up physical features. Calico rags were employed for jointing arms and legs rather than leather or twill. The use of such materials has resulted in the deterioration of the figures over time. It is possible that Ortega worked with family members or even a taller, or workshop, as two related groups of bultos from the Mora area have been identified. Examples from the group known as the School of José Benito Ortega show particularly attenuated torsos, as in this bulto, suggesting perhaps that it is the work of a follower, rather than carved by Ortega himself. After 1907, and the death of his wife, Ortega stopped making religious figures, leaving his home in La Cueva to live out his days in the homes of his children.Stacy C. Hollander, \"Bulto, 1870\u20131900\" exhibition copy for American Perspectives: Stories from the American Folk Art Museum Collection. Stacy C. Hollander, curator. New York: American Folk Art Museum, 2020. Object information is a work in progress and may be updated with new research. Records are reviewed and revised, and the American Folk Art Museum welcomes additional information.　To help improve this record, please email photoservices@folkartmuseum.org"]},"bibliography":{"label":"Bibliography","value":"Treasures of Folk Art: Museum of American Folk Art"},"collections":{"label":"Collections","value":"Three Dimensional Works"},"geography":{"label":"Geography","value":"Vicinity east of Santa Fe"},"id":{"label":"Id","value":"153499"},"geographyState":{"value":"New Mexico"},"geographyCountry":{"value":"United States"},"onview":{"label":"On View","value":"0"},"people":{"label":"Artist / Maker","value":{"displayOrder":"1","personRole":"Artist","personID":"147","content":"José Benito Ortega"}},"classifications":{"label":"Classification(s)","value":"Sculpture"},"textEntries":{"label":"Text Entries","value":["José Benito Ortega was a prolific, itinerant santero whose carved and painted figures represent the \u201clast flowering\u201d of the classical tradition of saint making in northern New Mexico. Traveling on foot from his home in La Cueva to the villages east of Santa Fe in Mora, San Miguel, and Colfax Counties, he created bultos, sculptural images of popular saints and other holy personages for use in the devotional practices of the Hispanic households of the region. He also carved images for use in moradas, the local chapters or meetinghouses of the Brotherhood of Our Father Jesus Nazarene, more commonly known as the Penitentes. Providing mutual assistance and support for its members, the Brotherhood became known for its public acts of penitence during Holy Week in imitation of the Passion of Christ.In contrast to his household saints, which generally are not much larger than two feet in height, Ortega\u2019s Penitente sculptures are imposing figures that stand as high as five feet and most often depict the Crucified Christ. This bulto is a morada piece and is similar to others attributed to Ortega. William Wroth, the author of several authoritative studies of the santos of New Mexico, has observed that the artist\u2019s treatment of the features of his figures \u201cis virtually the same for every piece he made. . . . The eyes protrude and stare, the nose is quite large and slightly turned up, the chin is clearly defined, often slightly pointed.\u201d In addition, the inverted V of the figure\u2019s rib cage is common to many Ortega works, and the decorative patterning on the cross may also be found in other figures by the artist. Unlike earlier santeros, Ortega often used excessive amounts of gesso in the modeling of features, rather than carving them.It is not clear whether Ortega worked alone or with family members or maintained a taller, or workshop. Although a nephew asserted that the artist did not have a helper, Wroth suggests the possibility of a workshop under Ortega\u2019s direction. Identification has been made of two related groups of bultos from the Mora area that share many of the stylistic characteristics of Ortega\u2019s work but appear to have been executed by other makers. In one of these groups, now referred to as the School of José Benito Ortega I, the faces of the carved figures \u201care longer and narrower than Ortega\u2019s, with sharp, slender noses\u201d and the torsos are elongated and narrow. The fact that at least one figure of the Crucified Christ associated with this school is shown with a distinctive rectangular loincloth almost identical to the one illustrated here may suggest that this bulto is the work of a follower of Ortega rather than of Ortega himself.In 1907, after his wife\u2019s death, Ortega left his home in La Cueva to take up residence with his children. Although he lived for another thirty-four years, he never carved another bulto. Gerard C. Wertkin, \"Bulto,\" in Stacy C. Hollander, American Anthem: Masterworks from the American Folk Art Museum (New York: Harry N. Abrams in association with American Folk Art Museum, 2001), 360-61.","José Benito Ortega was a prolific, itinerant New Mexican santero or maker of saints. The work of the santero was crucial in bringing the sanctity of faith into the devotional practices of households dispersed in remote areas throughout the Hispanic Southwest. By the time Ortega was working in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, the classical tradition of saint-making in northern New Mexico was on the wane. The new clergy was advocating the replacement of idiosyncratic hand-carved bultos, sculptural images of popular saints and other holy personages, with conventional mass-produced plaster figures. There was also a movement to discredit the use of such \"pagan\" images altogether. Yet Ortega continued to find custom in the villages east of Santa Fe in Mora, San Miguel, and Colfax Counties. Traveling by foot from his home in La Cueva, he supplied the demand for religious figures for domestic use and also carved images for use in moradas, the local chapters or meetinghouses of the Brotherhood of Our Father Jesus Nazarene, more commonly known as the Penitentes, who reenacted the Passion of Christ in public acts of penitence during Holy Week. The figures that Ortega created for the Penitentes are distinguished from those that he carved for household devotion in their larger scale, often standing as high as five feet, and most depict Christ on the cross. This bulto is just such a morada piece with Ortega\u2019s characteristic treatment of the figure\u2019s rib cage as an inverted \"V\" and the decorative painted patterning on the cross. With an economy of intervention, Ortega has captured the sorrow and human dimension of the crucifixion through the emaciated body painfully stretched and attenuated, the weight of the figure\u2019s dropped head and closed eyes, the path of blood traced along the arms, legs, and feet. Unlike earlier santeros, Ortega used cheap scrap millboard to rough out his figures with minimal carving and excessive amounts of gesso to build up physical features. Calico rags were employed for jointing arms and legs rather than leather or twill. The use of such materials has resulted in the deterioration of the figures over time. It is possible that Ortega worked with family members or even a taller, or workshop, as two related groups of bultos from the Mora area have been identified. Examples from the group known as the School of José Benito Ortega show particularly attenuated torsos, as in this bulto, suggesting perhaps that it is the work of a follower, rather than carved by Ortega himself. After 1907, and the death of his wife, Ortega stopped making religious figures, leaving his home in La Cueva to live out his days in the homes of his children.Stacy C. Hollander, \"Bulto, 1870\u20131900\" exhibition copy for American Perspectives: Stories from the American Folk Art Museum Collection. Stacy C. Hollander, curator. New York: American Folk Art Museum, 2020. Object information is a work in progress and may be updated with new research. Records are reviewed and revised, and the American Folk Art Museum welcomes additional information.　To help improve this record, please email photoservices@folkartmuseum.org"]},"beginDate":{"label":"Begin Date","value":"1870"},"displayDate":{"label":"Date","value":"1870\u20131900"},"exhibitions":{"label":"Exhibitions","value":[{"exhibitionDisplayDate":"Thursday, July 11, 2002 - Sunday, January 5, 2003","exhibitionEndISODate":"2003-01-26","exhibitionID":"73","exhibitionISOBeginDate":"2002-07-11","exhibitionBeginDate":"2002","exhibitionTitle":"American Anthem","exhibitionEndDate":"2003"},{"exhibitionDisplayDate":"Tuesday, February 11, 2020 - Sunday, January 3, 2021","exhibitionEndISODate":"2021-01-03","exhibitionID":"239","exhibitionISOBeginDate":"2020-02-11","exhibitionBeginDate":"2020","exhibitionTitle":"American Perspectives","exhibitionEndDate":"2021"},{"exhibitionDisplayDate":"Saturday, May 22, 2021 - Sunday, October 8, 2023","exhibitionEndISODate":"2023-10-08","exhibitionID":"245","exhibitionISOBeginDate":"2021-05-22","exhibitionBeginDate":"2021","exhibitionTitle":"American Perspectives (Travel)","exhibitionEndDate":"2023"},{"exhibitionDisplayDate":"1993\u20132001","exhibitionEndISODate":"2001-10","exhibitionID":"64","exhibitionISOBeginDate":"1993-10-05","exhibitionBeginDate":"1993","exhibitionTitle":"America's Heritage","exhibitionEndDate":"2001"},{"exhibitionDisplayDate":"Wednesday, November 25, 1981 - Sunday, September 19, 1982","exhibitionEndISODate":"1982-09-19","exhibitionID":"272","exhibitionISOBeginDate":"1981-11-25","exhibitionBeginDate":"1981","exhibitionTitle":"A Selection from the Permanent Collection","exhibitionEndDate":"1982"},{"exhibitionDisplayDate":"Sunday, September 14, 1980 - Sunday, December 7, 1980","exhibitionEndISODate":"1980-12-07","exhibitionID":"329","exhibitionISOBeginDate":"1980-09-14","exhibitionBeginDate":"1980","exhibitionTitle":"American Folk Art \u2013 The View from New York","exhibitionEndDate":"1980"}]},"dimensions":{"label":"Dimensions","value":"45 × 27 3/8 × 4 3/4\""}}]}