Bulto (St. Ignatius)
c. 1938
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 52.3 x 34.7 cm (20 9/16 x 13 11/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 18" high; 5 1/4" wide
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.16465
Art Historical Context
**Bulto (St.)**, created around 1938 by artist Carl'Bergh, is a delicate watercolor and graphite rendering on paper, measuring 52.3 x 34.7 cm. This work captures a traditional *bulto*—a wooden statue of St. Ignatius of Loyola—originally standing 18 inches high and 5¼ inches wide. Part of the National Gallery of Art's collection, it belongs to the Index of American, a WPA-era project that celebrated everyday American artistry. During the Great Depression, the Index employed artists like O'Bergh to document folk objects through precise, colorful illustrations, preserving cultural heritage befor...