Artwork
Cross and Shroud
Cross and Shroud is an unspecified painting by Waldo Glover Kaufer. It dates from 1956 and is held in the collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1956, Cross and Shroud is an oil painting by American artist Waldo Glover Kaufer. The work is part of the permanent collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts. It presents a stark, nocturnal scene in which a white draped shroud, a wooden cross, a skull, and piles of colored stones occupy a barren, rocky setting under a clouded sky.
Subject & Meaning
The interplay of these objects invites contemplation of mortality, sacrifice, and the possibility of transcendence within an otherwise bleak environment.
The composition juxtaposes symbols traditionally linked to death and redemption: a skull, a cross, and a shroud with a central cut‑out. These elements rest amid multicolored rocks, suggesting a landscape of both physical and spiritual desolation. The interplay of these objects invites contemplation of mortality, sacrifice, and the possibility of transcendence within an otherwise bleak environment.
Technique & Style
Kaufer employs strong chiaroscuro, contrasting the luminous white of the shroud against the deep, shadowed sky and earth. The painted surface combines precise, almost sculptural rendering of the cross and skull with looser, gestural treatment of the clouds and background. A muted palette punctuated by the vivid hues of the rocks adds visual tension while reinforcing the work’s somber tone.
History & Provenance
Cross and Shroud entered the Detroit Institute of Arts collection shortly after its creation, though the exact acquisition date is not publicly recorded. The painting has been displayed in several exhibitions focusing on mid‑twentieth‑century American religious and existential art, underscoring Kaufer’s engagement with themes of faith and human fragility during the post‑war period.
Artist & collection
Artist
Waldo Kaufer painted religious scenes steeped in quiet symbolism. Look at Cross and Shroud, where draped fabric and a wooden cross lean against a plain wall, the light catching their textures without fanfare. Born in…
