St. Joseph, Patron of a Happy Death and St. Joseph, Foster Father of Son of God

In 2021, St. Joseph Church in Somer, NY commissioned me to create a small statue of St. Joseph, Foster Father of the Son of God for their new reception hall. In my depiction, a young Christ stands in front of Joseph, holding the tools of carpentry, and gazes with authority toward the viewer. St. Joseph looks down at Christ, as if it guide and teach him in his trade. Simultaneously, as Joseph places his left hand on Christ’s shoulder, it almost seems as if Christ is holding up Joseph. It is ultimately St. Joseph who showcases a posture of humility before God, letting himself be guided by Jesus, even as he is his foster father.

After this was complete, another idea was proposed by the parochial vicar: to depict St. Joseph on his deathbed, under the title, St. Joseph, Patron of a Happy Death. Very seldom has this image been created, and even more seldom has it been made into a statue. The church featured a large, open vestibule, which felt empty. This space provided the unique opportunity for a larger than life statue, depicting a rare subject matter found in art.

Both pieces were base in bonded Carrara, a resin based material mixed with marble dust.