Quill Pen Santero
Active 1828-1840
The body of work by the anonymous artist known as the Quill Pen santero is limited to a small number of retablos painted in a distinctive style. His work is characterized by sharp delicate lines that appear to have been made with a quill pen or sharp instrument, oval shaped faces and with little concern for naturalism and perspective. Some scholars speculate that he may have been a Native American based on motifs found on some of his pieces. It has not yet been determined whether the Quill Pen santero created bultos.
The body of work by the anonymous artist known as the Quill Pen santero is limited to a small number of retablos painted in a distinctive style. His work is characterized by sharp delicate lines that appear to have been made with a quill pen or sharp instrument, oval shaped faces and with little concern for naturalism and perspective. Some scholars speculate that he may have been a Native American based on motifs found on some of his pieces. It has not yet been determined whether the Quill Pen santero created bultos.