Panel from Altar Piece of San Antonio c. 1936

Curator: What a compelling image. It's "Panel from Altar Piece of San Antonio" created around 1936 by E. Boyd, primarily with watercolor. Editor: Right, my first thought is that it looks dreamlike, maybe a saint adrift in a hazy, soft-edged world. The colors feel muted but comforting. Curator: Well, Boyd’s work is deeply embedded in the context of the Spanish Colonial arts revival. She worked to document and promote traditional art forms. This particular panel gives us a peek into how religious iconography was being reinterpreted in the early 20th century. The artist documented and likely drew on traditional Indigenous artistic techniques as inspiration. Editor: That makes sense. There is something almost naive about the style that pulls you in. And that gentle halo around the figure almost blends with the backdrop. It almost feels as if he’s emerging out of a soft-focus memory. Does this imagery tie to larger societal trends at the time? Curator: Absolutely. The work engages with broader questions surrounding cultural identity, the preservation of regional artistic traditions, and even the social dynamics of artistic patronage during the Depression era. Works such as these became testaments of cultural pride. The stylization might strike some as simplistic, but I see it as a deliberate attempt to tap into an older, less "refined" aesthetic. Editor: I can see it now, like she’s reaching for an art that is free from European pretension, an attempt at capturing something truly raw and honest. The colors, in a funny way, support this idea. Curator: And notice the use of native plants here—probably meant to give a local identity, which certainly echoes throughout that era. Editor: There’s a gentleness, like it’s saying something very tender. It makes you want to pause. Thank you! Curator: Indeed. It allows us to see how personal expressions are captured through tradition and culture.