Retablo (Virgin) c. 1937

This Retablo was made by Majel G. Claflin, likely on paper, and it strikes me how she was unafraid to embrace a limited palette – pinks, greens, blacks – creating a work that feels both reverent and kind of quirky. The texture here is really interesting; it’s as if the paint has been watered down, giving it a translucent quality. Look at how the pink bleeds into the background and around the Virgin; it's this lovely halo effect. Then there's the way she's holding the cross, so delicately, like she's about to conduct an orchestra of angels. The dark paint of her clothing is applied flatly, confidently, no fuss. It reminds me a little of Milton Avery, with its simple shapes and unexpected color combinations, but with a folk art twist. It feels intuitive, like a visual poem whispered onto paper. In the end, it's the painting's open simplicity that resonates.