It’s rare to find an early copper based retablo like this one. The quality of painting, the richness of the colors and the details are all indicative of these early reliquous works. Saint Benedict of Nursia was a 6th-century Italian monk and the founder of Western monasticism . His comprehensive guide for monastic living, the “Rule […]
The legend of Santa Librata is a certainly interesting: the daughter of a king, she was betrothed to a man she did not wish to marry, so she took a vow of celibacy to prevent the marriage. The day after she took the vow, she sprouted a beard, and her suitor departed. Her angry father […]
This is a beautiful Mexican, tin retablo of Our Lady of Sorrows. The condition is very good and the color contrasts strong. The bird on her left on top of the pillar is particularly sweet. Our Lady of Sorrows refers to the Virgin Mary, highlighting her intense suffering during the Passion of her son, Jesus. This […]
I’m not clear how this small alter was used. It shows the Crowned Virgin, a common subject in religious art, particularly associated with the Cuzco School of painting from the Viceroyalty of Peru. The Crowned Virgin symbolizes Mary’s queenship and her role as the Queen of Heaven, a significant theological concept in Catholicism.
Martin Saldana was a Mexican-American folk artist. He was born in San Luis Potosi, Mexico in 1874 and moved to Denver, CO, where he died in 1965. Saldana is known for his whimsical and colorful folk art, often depicting scenes from his childhood memories in Mexico, including ranch life, landscapes, animals and flowers. He painted […]
This a very rare New Mexcian retablo. The maker – the 18th C. Novice – has been verified by Robert Gallegos. The board frame, carved out of the same board, as well as the rosette at the top, are characteristics of this santero. The paints used are oil, before the switch in the early 19th […]
This is an attractive painting of a well dressed Native man. From which culture or tribe, I do not know. Perhaps the clothing and accessories are a good hint? The frame is the original frame as the oil on board is cut into the frame.
19th Century oil on tin retablo La Mano Poderosa, or The Powerful Hand of God – sometimes referred to as Los Cinco Personas, a reference to the extended Holy Family in the upper quadrant. The five figures at the top represent Anne, Mary, Santo Nino, Joseph, and Joachim. In the lower quadrant, blood is flowing […]
This is a wonderful and powerful ex-voto, a prayer of thanks for the healing of a baby. The art on it is austere, making it all the more potent. The mother sits in a barren room with three walls visible, a tiled floor and a darkened ceiling. The baby is bundled in her arms. She […]
