MEXICAN RETABLO EXVOTO Two Great Miracles

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Hand made retablo painted on tin. The story goes: Dominga Galvan dedicates this retablo to San Antonio, thanking him for the two great favors that he did for her. Curing her of the skin rash that was all over her head and then after this, helping her find a good boyfriend that has since proposed to her.Size: 10 x 12 in Ex Votos: Mexican Folk Art & Miracles Exvotos , also called Retablos, are one of the most intriguing forms of Mexican folk art. A retablo is a painting on a small sheet of tin (although t are some examples made on copper or wood) depicting a scene with a hand written description made to a saint or deity as an expression of gratitude for believers, when a miracle is received . The origin of the word Ex Voto is Latin, and it means "for solemn vow or promise". Faced with a particular problem, people would pray to a Saint or deity. When their prayers were "answered", the person would in return, offer an exvoto to that deity in the same way we give thank-you cards. Exvoto subjects range from common occurrences to truly dramatic events. Though some exvotos have been painted by the person receiving the miracle, most are made by retableros : commissioned artists who interpret people's stories and produce these tokens of appreciation to be placed/hung on church walls or shrines, reinforcing the owner's devotion and gratitude. These lovely miracle paintings are in fact advertisements of the power and mercy of the saints. In Colonial times it was the Spanish who brought the exvoto idea to Mexico , a custom quickly adopted by the wealthy. In the late 19th century, the peasants had already started following this same tradition. The upper classes eventually dropped the practice, however, the lower classes continue to follow the custom today . These charming paintings are highly valued for artistic and cultural reasons, and collected by folk art enthusiasts around the world. Unfortunately, t is a current epidemic of church thefts in Mexico and the reason is that pieces like exvotos and Santos may fetch hundreds to thousands of dollars on the black market. If you're looking for antique retablos please be careful about what you buy and w you buy it from . It could very well be a stolen item that you are buying, especially if you're feel you're "getting a bargain". These are just some of many news clips that we read every day in Mexican newspapers. Churches have little to no security, so taking sacred items has become relatively easy. Mexican Authorities Recover 144 Original Pre-Columbian Pieces and Colonial Religious Works Red List of Cultural Objects at Risk to be Announced Today Church in Atlautla is Robbed of their Art (Spanish) We sell contemporary retablos made by some of the best retableros in Mexico who have been making these wonderful paintings for generations. Retableros today are becoming extinct since every year t are less and less people commissioning these works. Some of our wonderful artists have been forced to find other lines of work or migrate in order to support themselves and their families. Our mission has been on the one hand, keeping the tradition of painting exvotos alive by supporting the dying breed of retableros who survive solely on their craft. On the other hand, putting quality folk art like this up for sale to drive prices down and deter thieves from taking more art from Mexico's sacred temples . Our artists depend on the sales of their paintings to support themselves so if you like these amazing works of folk art, full of tradition and charm, please bid generously . Your purchase will help keep a talented artist working in such a noble profession . read more

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