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Retabla of the Trinity Rendered by E. Boyd (artist), c. 1936 watercolor, colored pencil, and graphite on paper overall: 36.1 x 28.2 cm (14 3/16 x 11 1/8 in.) Original IAD Object: 40 1/2" x 22" Index of American Design 1943.8.6815 Not on View |
One of the popular motifs for the "retablo" painter was the Holy Trinity "La Santisima Trinidad". This has always been a difficult subject for the artist to depict; the usual portrayal consists of the Father, the Son, and a dove representing the Holy Spirit. The version shown in this "retablo" originated in Byzantium. It portrays the Holy Trinity as three men. The Byzantine form was abandoned in Europe in 1745 because of a papal edict, but continued unchanged in Spanish America.