Retabla of Holy Ghost c. 1936

E. Boyd made this Retabla of Holy Ghost, we don't know exactly when, but it's an image of devotion, done with simple paints. It’s interesting how the artist lays down these colors, building up the image with a kind of directness that feels very honest. The colors in this piece, they’re not trying to trick you. There’s this pinky-mauve that makes up the central ground, then you get these blues, reds, and yellows. I’m drawn to the way the pink bleeds slightly into the blue, it’s not overly blended, but there's a tenderness. Look how the dove is being held - it's like she's protecting it, with an innocence to it. The edges are not crisp; the paint is thin, which lets the light bounce around a little more. It feels intuitive, like the artist is in conversation with the materials. This work reminds me a bit of the Fra Angelico, those devotional images which have a similar earnestness. But where Fra Angelico goes for divine splendor, Boyd keeps it human, accessible. Art is really like this ongoing dialogue – each artist chipping in, responding to what’s come before. It's beautiful, right?