Artwork
Bear
Artist
Felipe Benito Archuleta
(American, 1910 - 1991)
DepartmentLatin American Art
Dateca. 1980
MediumWood, paint, rubber
Dimensions29 × 60 × 16 in. (73.7 × 152.4 × 40.6 cm)
Credit LineSan Antonio Museum of Art, gift of Frost National Bank
Object number90.115.13
Copyright© Felipe Benito Archuleta
GeographyPlace madeTesque, New Mexico, United States
DescriptionA bear carved from wood and painted black save for its snout and mouth. The bear is open-mouthed and snarling, displaying a row of sharp teeth and a tongue painted pink.Label TextFelipe Archuleta was a carpenter and sculptor from Tesuque, New Mexico, who pivoted to carving animals later in life. He felt that his carpenters’ union did notgive him enough work to support his family and prayed to God for a way to improve his situation. He began carving animal sculptures soon thereafter, leading to an exhibition at the Museum of International Folk Art that cemented his fame in the American folk art community. This bear is a quintessential example of his work, which tends to express the aggressive nature of the animals he portrays.
Felipe Archuleta fue un carpintero y escultor originario de Tesuque, Nuevo México, que se dedicó a tallar animales en su etapa de madurez. En cierto momento llegó a pensar que su sindicato no le daba suficiente trabajo para mantener a su familia, y rezó por una manera de mejorar su situación. Poco después, comenzó a tallar esculturas de animales. Eventualmente fue incluido en una muestra en el Museo de Arte Popular Internacional de Santa Fe, Nuevo México, la cual consolidó su fama en la comunidad de coleccionistas estadounidenses del arte popular. Este oso es un ejemplo de la excelencia de su trabajo, que tiende a expresar la agresividad de los animales a los que retrata.
(LA, 2020)On view
Collections
ca. 1978
The San Antonio Museum of Art is in the process of digitizing its permanent collection. This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect SAMA's complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of such records is ongoing.
This resource has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the Human Endeavor.
