Plate 34: Our Lady of Light: From Portfolio "Spanish Colonial Designs of New Mexico 1934 - 1942

This anonymous artwork, Plate 34: Our Lady of Light: From Portfolio "Spanish Colonial Designs of New Mexico, uses watercolor to depict a religious icon with such tenderness. Look at the way the artist approaches the act of painting itself. It is not about perfection but about feeling. The transparent washes of color create a luminous quality, almost as if the light is shining through the Virgin. The delicate brushstrokes, especially in the halo and the robe, show a gentle hand, a kind of reverence. Notice how the artist paints the folds of the garment with simple, rhythmic marks. It’s not about capturing every detail, but about capturing the essence. The repeating patterns on the robe remind me of Hilma af Klint’s early abstract paintings, a similar attempt to visualize the spiritual. The lack of precise definition invites multiple readings, embracing the beauty of ambiguity.