Bulto St. Rocce 1935 - 1942

E. Boyd created this rendering of the "Bulto St. Rocce" using watercolor and graphite, and it depicts a traditional bulto, a carved wooden sculpture of a saint common in New Mexico and Southern Colorado. Boyd’s careful depiction invites us to consider the cultural context of religious art in the Southwestern United States. Saint Roche, typically depicted displaying the plague sore on his thigh, was invoked against epidemics. Here we can see it is rendered with careful, though stylized, detail. Boyd’s work provides a unique perspective, documenting these devotional objects in a way that acknowledges both their artistic and spiritual significance. As such, it serves as a window into the intertwined histories of religion, art, and cultural identity in the region. It prompts us to consider how traditions evolve.