Santo 1938

Editor: So, this is Eldora Lorenzini's "Santo," created in 1938 using watercolor and drawing techniques. The figure, this almost archaic figure, holding a fish... It has such a theatrical feel to it, like a character waiting in the wings. What grabs you when you look at this piece? Curator: You know, it's funny you say theatrical, because that’s precisely what leaped to my mind too! It’s almost as though this folk-art piece isn't merely depicting a saint – if that's indeed the intent – but presenting an archetype. Perhaps it’s that stylized expression or those slightly too-perfect patterns, echoing the feel of the stage? What about the materials whispers to you, beyond just "watercolor?" Editor: That’s a great question! For me, the transparency of the watercolor gives it a sense of age, like looking at a fresco that’s faded over time. It makes you wonder, is it the portrayal of an icon or a meditation on the fragility of faith? Curator: Or perhaps both intertwined? Watercolors can indeed evoke memory; it bleeds and settles much like remembrance itself, doesn't it? The artist chose them deliberately; folk art often blurs the sacred and the everyday, making the divine relatable. Note how, through the careful lines, almost cartoony lines if you squint hard enough, there’s this undercurrent of reverence, maybe irony too. Does the expression itself speak to that? Editor: Definitely the irony comes across – that slight smirk. Maybe it's a challenge to the viewer to look closer, to find meaning in the simplicity. I came into this thinking of it as just a genre scene, but it's more layered than that. Curator: Yes, precisely! And that’s where art blossoms, right? We bring ourselves and suddenly it multiplies into unforeseen harvests of thoughts. "Santo" now feels less like observation but an experience… almost, would you agree, holy? Editor: Absolutely! I’ll never look at a simple watercolor the same way again. Thanks for your insights.