Mexican Retablo Exvoto for St Francis by Man Scared of Ghosts of Dead Miners

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Mexican Retablo Exvoto for St Francis by Man Scared of Ghosts of Dead Miners:
$45.00

Mexican Retablo Exvoto for St Francis by Man Scared of Ghosts of Dead MinersHand made retablo painted on tin. Edelmiro Llanes writes: There is an abandoned mine where several workers died on the day of the collapse and after that each time someone walked by the mine their souls came out to haunt them. One day I felt brave and went by there but the ghosts started dragging me towards the mouth of the mine and it was only with the help of St Francis that I was able to break free and run away. Today, the townspeople have made a Church on the site to help passers by.Catalog # 7446
Size: 11 x 8 in
← Click on the image to see a large slideshowEx Votos Ex Votos, also called Retablos, are one of the most intriguing forms of Mexican folk art. A retablo is a painting on a small sheet of tin (although there are some examples made on copper or wood) depicting a scene with a hand written description made to a saint or deity as an expression of gratitude for believers, when a miracle is received. The origin of the word Ex Voto is Latin, and it means \"for solemn vow or promise\". Faced with a particular problem, people would pray to a Saint or deity. When their prayers were \"answered\", the person would in return, offer an exvoto to that deity in the same way we give thank-you cards. Exvoto subjects range from common occurrences to truly dramatic events. Though some exvotos have been painted by the person receiving the miracle, most are made by retableros: commissioned artists who interpret people\'s stories and produce these tokens of appreciation to be placed/hung on church walls or shrines, reinforcing the owner\'s devotion and gratitude. These lovely miracle paintings are in fact advertisements of the power and mercy of the saints. In Colonial times it was the Spanish who brought the exvoto idea to Mexico, a custom quickly adopted by the wealthy. In the late 19th century, the peasants had already started following this same tradition. The upper classes eventually dropped the practice, however, the lower classes continue to follow the custom today. These charming paintings are highly valued for artistic and cultural reasons, and collected by folk art enthusiasts around the world.