Bulto (San Miguel) 1939

Eldora Lorenzini made this watercolor of a Bulto, San Miguel in 1937. The colours are quite muted, earthy browns and reds paired with teals and blues, so nothing too bright. The Bulto itself looks like a painted wooden sculpture. I'm immediately drawn to the way the colours are slightly off. Like the sculptor was trying to be realistic, but then also just went for the most vibrant colours. The saint's skin is painted with an even light brown, but then there is the shock of the bright turquoise shirt and matching dog! The whole piece has this very deliberate yet naive quality, which is so charming. It reminds me of Martín Ramírez, who also mixed careful rendering with an almost child-like simplicity, to create something very expressive. There is something about seeing the world through another's eyes, or through the hand of another, that helps us question our own view.