Santo 1936

Maude Valle made this image of a Santo in 1936; it’s modest in scale, like a page from a sketchbook. I'm imagining Valle looking at a devotional object, a framed icon, and then trying to figure out how to translate it into a painting. I see how the artist works with warm browns and reds, building up layers to create the impression of texture and age. I wonder about her process. Did she start with a sketch, or did she dive right in with the paint? Look at the way the figure is rendered; simple, almost childlike. There’s a directness that I appreciate, a willingness to embrace imperfection. It's a quiet painting, but it speaks volumes about the artist's engagement with art history. And it reminds me that all artists are in conversation, drawing inspiration from the past while forging their own paths. It makes you want to pick up a brush.