Photographed at the site by Claire and Richard Stracke San Pedro Mártir

Huitzo, Oaxaca, Mexico
St. Peter Martyr (Dominican habit and tonsure, axe in head, martyr's palm in right hand, book held against chest by left hand).
Wood, gesso, paint; eyes, sculpted hair; real palm; approx. 5 feet tall.

The axe has an unusual shape, as if it were something used as a tool in planting. The wood is hollow. The garments have been repainted many times. The neck is full rather than elongated; the face is full and unusually individualized; it has a five o'clock shadow. It has been nicked in places and the gesso shows through. It is conceivable that the garments could be stiffened cloth, because they fall in a natural way, but there is not clear delineation between the ends of the sleeves and the beginnings of the hands.

More of St. Peter Martyr

Photographed by Claire and Richard Stracke