Mexican

      Retablos & Exvotos

An  Introduction to Mexican Retablos

The words retablo and exvoto are used interchangeably to denote a Mexican religious painting.  The majority are often painted on a sheet of tin but they are also found on canvas, wood or masonite.  The word retablo is used more often than exvoto.  They are an offering given for an answered prayer or request.  The petitioner makes a vow or promise to a holy image when there is a need or wish.  If the prayer is granted, the petitioner leaves the retablo (exvoto) in the church or chapel where the worshipper seeks grace.  "In religious terms, these paintings provide a way of expressing devotion to a favored icon.  In cultural terms, they represent one of the few means by which common people can give public expression to their anxieties, needs, fears, and sufferings." [ Durand & Massey, "Miracles on the Border."]

This art form is most prevalent in west-central Mexico, which includes the States of Michoacan, Jalisco, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosi, and Zacatecas.  Most retablos are done by "contract" or commissioned artists called "retableros" or "retablistas."  Often copying other works seen in print or in churches, the art of retablo painting has evolved into a true art form.  "Retablos or votive offerings are the most important and popular aspect of folk painting at the present time..." [Francis Toor, "A Treasury of Mexican Folkways"]

Composition of Mexican Retablos

Mexican votive paintings are composed of three basic elements: a holy image, a graphic rendering of a threatening occurrence or miraculous event, and a text explaining what happened. [Emily Giffords, "Mexican Folk Retablos"]  The largest and most important part of the retablo is the depiction of the miraculous event.  The experience, imagination and skill of the retablo artist is used to magnify and present an emotional intensity of the moment to emphasize the drama of the event.

Normally the textural material is found at the bottom of the work.  The text often includes a thank you to the holy image, the circumstances of the event, place of origin and a date.  Within the work is usually found a small rendering of the holy image referred to by name in the text.

Current Market Situation 

A retablo doesn't have to be antique to be collectable.  The art of retablo painting is alive and well in Mexico today.  As long as people feel a need to "connect" with a higher power or to express thanks to a holy image, artists will be commissioned to paint their retablos.  Contrary to what you may read or encounter on some eBay sites, not all retablos are antiques.  Retablo artists can be found in front of many major Church Shrines in Mexico, waiting for a commission.  Some churches have so many retablos on their altars, that the priests are confronted with the problem of what to do with them.  "On any given day scores of recently deposited retablos are on display at popular Mexican pilgrimage sites, and the number of new arrivals is so great that it creates problems of disposal for priests who must somehow cope with the excess." [Durand & Massey, "Miracles on the Border."]  Much of this excess finds its way to the collector market.

Buying and Collecting Mexican Retablos

What is your collecting focus, antiques or Folk Art?  If you are buying retablos as an antique, be careful.  You need to know your subject.  Buy books, visit museums and shops that specialize in this type of item.  Genuine antique retablos are expensive.  Very few appear on the internet auction scene, as most are sold by private treaty.  Know your dealer!

If your focus or collecting interest is Mexican Folk Art, again, you need to know your subject.  I have included a suggested reading/research list that will help.  Modern retablos are available on eBay and other internet sites.  They normally sell in the $35 to $125 range, depending on content and aesthetic value.  They are considered by many as the most important form of popular art in Mexico.  Diego Rivera, Frieda Kahlo and David Siqueiros owned extensive collections from which they drew inspiration for their own art. [Durand & Massey devote an entire chapter in their book on Artists and Retablos.]

Retablos have become a very collectable form of Folk Art.  There are many fine personal collections often put on dispaly in local Museums and Universities.  Values will continue to increase as more people become aware.

Recommended Reading Resources for Retablos

"Miracles on the Border, Retablos of Mexican Migrants to the United States" by Jorge Durand and Douglas S. Massey

"Mexican Folk Retablos" by Gloria Giffords

Recommended Reading Resources for Folk Art

"Arts and Crafts of Mexico" by Chloe Sayer

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