Why go
Look closely at santos, figures of saints made by santeros, then compare their devotional role with the striking horns and fangs of carnival caretas. Paintings by José Campeche and Francisco Oller add another view of local subjects and changing artistic styles. Together they show more than a single art tradition.
The full story
Santos are small representations of saints and other religious figures, shaped from materials such as wood, clay or stone. They were part of household devotion rather than simply decoration. Caretas belong to a different setting: these masks are associated with carnival and are recognizable by their exaggerated horns and fangs. Painting offers another line of inquiry. José Campeche worked with religious subjects and portraits in the colonial period. Francisco Oller, who studied in Europe, later turned his attention to Puerto Rican subjects as well as landscapes, portraits and still lifes. A visitor looking at these works can ask what each object was made to do. A santo occupied a devotional space, a careta transformed a festival appearance, and a painting could present a person or place for contemplation. That difference is more revealing than treating them all as examples of one style.