Laguna Main Altarpiece 1935 - 1942

E. Boyd made this watercolor painting of the Laguna Main Altarpiece sometime in the 20th century. The overall effect of the piece, with its vibrant palette of reds, greens, and golds, feels like a celebration. You can see Boyd’s investment in the process of artmaking through their illustrative mark-making. The altarpiece teems with detail, featuring swirling columns and triangular pediments. The paint is applied in thin washes, allowing the colors to blend and create a sense of depth, but it is also opaque, giving the artwork a tangible presence. Look at the central figures of Mary and the Christ child, how the folds of their garments are delineated with crisp lines, and filled in with flat color, like a stained glass window. Boyd’s altarpiece reminds me a little of the work of Sister Gertrude Morgan, another artist whose work was deeply rooted in faith. And as with Morgan, the Laguna Main Altarpiece is a reminder that art is an ongoing conversation, an exchange of ideas across time, and a form that embraces multiple interpretations.