Plate 21: Main Altarpiece: From Portfolio "Spanish Colonial Designs of New Mexico" 1935 - 1942

This watercolor on paper, one of a portfolio of Spanish Colonial designs from New Mexico, is teeming with bold colors and decorative energy. I can imagine the artist carefully laying down each stroke, building up the layers to create this symmetrical composition. The altarpiece is divided into three distinct tiers, each filled with figures, floral motifs, and architectural elements. I'm drawn to the way the artist has used the color red to unify the composition, from the swirling patterns in the upper register to the robes of the figures below. It’s a celebration of faith and artistic tradition. Think about how the artist must have felt, paying homage to the altarpieces of their ancestors while interpreting them through their own modern sensibility. This piece reminds us that artists are always in conversation with the past, reinterpreting and reimagining the world around them. It leaves plenty of room for our own interpretations.