Retablos and Ex-Votos Exhibit

In the Iberian and Latin American tradition Retablos and Ex-Votos refer specifically to religious images painted onto a two- dimensional medium. Retablos (or more properly Retablos santos) are images of saints or religious scenes used for private devotion (i.e. a home shrine) or for church display at the altar. Retablo is derived from the Latin Retro Tabula, meaning behind the altar table. Ex-Votos refer to images produced as a sign of thanks for an answered prayer or favor granted. For example, a gravely ill individual, or one to whom an accident is about to happen, prays to a saint or religious figure of personal or family devotion, to be saved from harm. If that prayer is answered the individual will then have an image made (usually on tin, wood, or paper) depicting the occasion and the favor granted. These pieces would then be taken to a church and hung on a wall or possibly at a shrine or sacristy in the church. It is important that Ex-Votos be publicly displayed as a sign of gratitude. To the church these pieces served as proof of the miraculous power of the patron saints and helped reinforce the value of faith. The word again comes from the Latin and means "from a vote (of thanks)."

In Spain and Portugal the tradition of dedicating Ex-Votos dates back to the 14th century or earlier. These were most commonly made on canvas, wood, or leather; however in Spain (such as Talavera) Ex-Votos were painted on tiles. In Mexico while all the above media were used the most common one used was tin.

Spain and Mexico produced only a small amount of tin. However, during the mid-18th century large-scale metallurgical processes were developed allowing for inexpensive production of thin, tin-coated iron sheets that could be easily manipulated for industrial usage and were rust-proof. In Europe, one of the major production centers for such machine-rolled tin sheeting was the County of Cornwall in England, where large-scale mining of tin has taken place since the 5th century B.C. Rolls of tin sheets were then packed in barrels and shipped in quantity to the New World.