New Mexico, Bulto, Polychromed Wooden Figure
1935-1942
Long before folk art was trendy, curator E. Boyd was busy saving New Mexico's religious heritage from obscurity. This delicate study depicts a bulto—a traditional carved wooden saint—standing on a stepped pedestal with a radiant sunburst halo. The figure, likely the Virgin Mary, is draped in a vibrant, patterned robe of blues and teals that mimics the look of polychromed wood. Boyd created hundreds of these watercolor records in the 1930s and 40s, ensuring that these humble, devotional objects were recognized as serious art.
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