Glossary of Spanish Colonial Folk Art Terms


Bulto (Traditional) A statue of Christ, a saint or the Virgin carved from cottonwood root, covered with gesso and painted. Sometimes the statue is clothed. Contemporary bultos can be found in bronze and other media.

Gesso A mixture of gypsum and animal glue applied to the wood of retablos or bultos prior to painting.

Hand-adze A traditional means of rough carving retablos with a hand-held, ax-like tool.

Reredos An altar screen with architectural frame painted with images of the saints or statues of the saints placed in niches.

Retablo (Traditional) A painting with a religious theme on a flat surface which is usually a pine board or tin. If made of pine, the board is hand-adzed, smoothed in front, covered with gesso and painted.

Santero/a The "saint-maker"; maker of religious art who carve and paint images of Christ, the Virgin, saints and angels.

Santo A religious figure created by a santero.

~ Santa Lucia Designs

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Lynn Kot