Temple of Santo Domingo

Mix media on Winsor & Newton CP watercolor paper

The temple of Santo Domingo in San Cristobal de las Casas is under construction, all the carved wood altarpieces covered in gold which locals are proud of, were covered with plastic film due to the construction works to repair the damage caused by the earthquake in September 2017. I peaked behind the plastic to see part of the altarpieces or retablos. Some parts are really damaged, wood either cracked or have big gaps. It was ironic to me to see such beautiful work with such pretentious finishes in one of the poorest states. An image of a virgen near that web of wood poles holding the dome ceiling from falling, the Virgen of Rosary, seemed to be the only humble thing here that people of this town could relate to. Even her image looked very similar to the women here with long black hair. That thought had to be recorded as a sketch. 
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