Carmen Romero Velarde, Santo Nino de Atocha Retablo

Santo Nino de Atocha, Patron of Children and Prisoners, by Carmen Velarde of Taos New Mexico; paint on chipped and gessoed wood panel with notched and arched top, dated 1994, 5 ½ x 7 ¼ x ½ inches, with a string hanger on the back.

Carmen Velarde (1928-2022) was a beloved member of the Taos community, a family woman, a wise-woman and teacher of the old ways of life using the Hispanic traditions of the area.

A master of many arts, including adobe contruction, weaving and dying wool, and folk medicine, she was also a santera: her retablos (small devotional paintings of saints on wood panels) include sweet votive offerings with her signature on the back of each one.