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

This print of Saint Veronica from the "Spanish Colonial Designs of New Mexico" portfolio is pretty striking, with its simple shapes and bold lines. The artist, who remains anonymous, used watercolor to depict a scene that feels both ancient and immediate. I can't help but wonder what it was like for the artist to create this image. Were they lost in thought? What was their relationship to the subject matter? The bleeding wounds are rendered in such a way that they seem like both tears and drops of paint, merging the sacred with the artistic act. The use of watercolor gives it a certain lightness, a dreamlike quality that contrasts with the violence of the scene. It reminds me of other self-taught artists, who use simple means to express profound emotions. In a way, all artists are engaged in this kind of conversation, echoing and responding to one another across time and space. This image invites us to see the world through someone else's eyes, to grapple with the mysteries of faith and creativity.