Retablos and Ex-Votos Exhibit

Retablos and Ex-Votos:
A Window into the Soul of Mexico

Origins and Style

Retablos and Ex-Votos fall firmly in the tradition of non-academic folk art. In Latin America, folk art results from a confluence of Indian, European, African and Asian cultural traditions, although in Spanish speaking Latin American countries a shared cultural veneer can be noted. This veneer is "Hispanidad". It is most strongly distinguishable in religious art, and retablos and Ex-Votos fall very much so into this tradition. The methods of style, pose, construction, structure and form are derived from Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian art styles. In retablos, more so than in Ex-Votos, a strong resemblance of Southern European religious art is displayed.

Spanish provinces such as Almeria, Catalonia, Sevilla, Andalucia, and Mancha, have a strong tradition of Ex-Voto painting. From coastal areas most Ex-Votos are given in thanks for safety from shipwreck or drowning. Most of the Ex-Votos in Spain were produced by anonymous artists. It is very rare to find a signed piece and it is only recently as a result of research that certain painters have been discovered and named. The presence of female limners can only be hinted at from details in the works.

The Tradition Today and References
A Celebration of The Day of the Dead - Día de los muertos