Plate 20 (Variant): Saint Veronica: From Portfolio "Spanish Colonial Designs of New Mexico" 1935 - 1942

This portfolio piece, titled Plate 20, Saint Veronica, is an anonymous work from the Spanish Colonial Designs of New Mexico. The artist used a simple palette of reds, blues, blacks and pale skin tones and the result is both stark and powerful. The material aspect is striking, notice the thin washes of watercolor, especially in the background, contrasted against the bold, graphic lines defining the figures. The image has a flatness, almost like a print, but the slight variations in color and texture reveal the artist's hand at work. Take a closer look at the blood trickling down from the crown of thorns – each drop is carefully placed, creating a sense of both suffering and meticulous attention to detail. This piece reminds me a little of the work of Guston, who also embraced bold lines and raw emotion in his paintings, but the devotional intensity is unique to this artist. Ultimately, this artwork is open to interpretation. It invites us to reflect on faith, suffering, and the human condition.