Retablos

Nuevo Santander Gallery
Fine Art - Antiques - Old West Collectibles
717 North Main Street ¤ McAllen TX 78501
(956) 618-4959 ¤ fax (956) 618-1746
nsantander@aol.com

RETABLOS

"El Calvario con Maria Magdalena" $20,000
14" X 18" Oil on Copper

Ascent into Heaven $9000
12” x 15” Oil on Copper

ABOUT RETABLOS

Retablos are small oil paintings, usually on copper or tin, that were most often done by untrained artists from the provinces just outside of Mexico City. During the 1700s, retablos on copper became popular but, due to the high cost of the material, only those of more substantial means could afford them. Retablo painting began in earnest the 1800s when the highly durable and inexpensive material of tin became available. This folk art flourished between 1820 and 1880 when thousands were produced primarily in the middle states of Mexico.

Tin retablos, most often unsigned, were completed by artists who displayed ingenuities in overcoming the technical difficulties of the media despite their lack of formal training. These retablos also reflect a lively spirit and a true devotion to Catholicism. Copper retablos were typically done by trained artists and show even greater technical finesse.

Although most retablo artists clung closely to the baroque style, many developed an identifiable style of their own. Retablos were sometimes commissioned by individuals but most frequently sold by peddlers door to door or at churches during festivals. Devout Mexicans placed them on their home altars where the were appealed to for relief of every possible ailment from social problems to meteorological phenomena.

Large (14" x 20") tin retablos as well as small tin retablos (2½" x 3½") are the fewest in number. Occasionally they are found with their original frames which include elaborately worked tin and hinged glass doors. Sometimes the frames were made of glass painted in floral or striped designs and backed by tin. The scarcity of both these types of frames contributes greatly to their value.

The figures on retablos strictly follow the church's official pictography such that holy persons are identifiable from their costumes and attributes. The rules of anatomy and perspective are rarely followed; in addition, a three quarter view is almost always to depict the holy person. Images on the retablo other than the holy person are usually depicted in size according to a hierarchical scale of importance. The decorative use of detail is profuse and includes furniture, tiles, drapes and textiles. The colors used in retablos are mostly clear reds, dark blues and dark yellows.

More information about retablos is available
in Mexican Folk Retablos by Giffords.