Was there any digital use in the making of these paintings? Absolutely not. These paintings were made using techniques that have been passed down through five centuries, or done by a single artist in her studio. The frames are carved, constructed, and painted gold by hand. None of them have been digitally reproduced in any way. Truly, these paintings are the direct opposite of digital.
Where are they from? The smaller and medium size paintings are done by hand in Cusco, Peru, where artists have been making sacred art this way for almost five hundred years. The Cusco school began when Spanish Catholic missionaries trained native painters to make devotional works for the new churches of the Andes, creating a blend of native painting techniques with Catholic renaissance art style. The gold detail on the garments, the raised halos, and the warmth in the faces are all signatures of the tradition. Our larger paintings were made in Lima, Peru by an artist we've met through our travels. She's an older woman with a simple stand at a marketplace, and by purchasing these paintings you create more demand for her pieces.
Why are they priced this way? These paintings are not just paintings, they're a conversation piece with a rich story. Almost all of them are custom commissioned by us, making everything about them unique. We only bring back a small batch, which means there’s no big production run to bring the cost down. We priced them to honor the work that went into them, and the idea is that they hang in your home for a long time.
