'', 17th century. The popular labeling of ex-votos as "Retablos" can be traced back to the late 18th century. In 1950, Mexican artist
Roberto Montenegro published a history of Mexican altarpieces which included a votive painting dated 1781, that contained an inscription which offers thanks to
Nuestra Señora de Dolores de
Xaltocan for renewing the people's health after a severe illness. On the bottom of the votive painting left, a message is inscribed that read
en cuia memoria dedica a su Magestad este Retablo (in whose memory he dedicates to her Majesty this
retablo). The oil-painted retablos generated the need for "small retablo factories" to be established to "reproduce the same images" which were then "sold to devout believers who displayed them in home altars to honor their patron Saints." Not only were the retablos purchased by those wanting to show devotion to their patron saints, they were also given when the saints were there for their devotees in hard times. When people wished to express gratitude, they could give retablos that described "the miraculous deed of a saint to whom the petitioner turned to in a time of need". People call upon these saints for aid with rain, harvests, or other outcomes. For example, if a farmer needs rain for his crops he might pray for rain. After the rain comes, a retablo might be created to give thanks to San
Ysidro Labrador, the patron saint of farmers. He is "venerated for good weather, agricultural issues and prosperous crops". That figure would most likely be kept in the farmer's house. Each time rain was needed in the future, that farmer might pray in front of that retablo. These traditions are by no means exclusive to Latin America, but are found in all Roman Catholic countries, as well as in classical
paganism and many other religions. To judge by survivals, similar small paintings were especially common in the German-speaking Catholic areas of Europe in the
Early Modern period. By the 19th century, the process of
lithography became very popular for devotional retablos, replacing earlier
printmaking methods.
Form carved wood
reredos, or retablo in the original Spanish sense,
Tenerife. The way a retablo and ex-voto look is entirely up to the person designing it, so long as it contains the necessary basic elements. The most important part of the retablo is the representation of the miraculous event. That is why most artists try to use bright, vibrant colors to portray the supremacy of the event. An ex-voto is, more often than not, reduced to a smaller size. It is usually about half the size of the original, while still maintaining its rectangular shape. The largest size was about . The smallest was about . Some of the most common sizes include and .
Significance Retablos are important to Mexican
folk religion because they are a physical representation of holy images such as Christ, the Virgin Mother, or one of the many thousands of saints. They come from the need humans have to interact on a personal level with divine spirits. Retablos are evidentiary support for communication between the divine and humans. This tradition of retablos was also
brought into New Mexico and southern Colorado by Franciscan friars. Due to the remoteness of this frontier and lack of metals, retablos were made of wood. These crude retablos were coated with a
gesso made with gypsum and rabbit skin glue. Pigments also were made locally from natural materials, colored piles of earth, plant extracts, cochineal bugs, and lamp black. These traditional retablos and other indigenous religious art were removed by bishop
Jean-Baptiste Lamy throughout New Mexico after the
conquest of these territories by the
US Army. In 1924 the Spanish Colonial Arts Society was formed, and since then these unique traditions of New Mexico have been preserved.
Contemporary revival again. During the 1940s, a resurgence of the art began in Peru, due in large part to the research and philanthropy of Alicia Bustamante, a member of the Peruvian
indigenista movement, who encouraged an artist named Joaquin Lopez Antay to save and revitalize the retablo art form. She enlisted him "to make retablos that included themes of everyday life – harvests, markets, and fiestas. A distinction emerged between the retablo for ritual and religious purposes and the retablo as decoration." Many others in the area, including
Nicario Jimenez Quispe, continued along the same path as Antay, creating a popular art that was displayed during the annual branding ceremonies of cattle, sheep, and llamas. These retablos have achieved status as important heirlooms passed on within families that symbolize protection, fertility, and healing. They are also sold as art. ==See also==