Art And Faith In Mexico: 
The 19th Century Retablo Tradition
by Elizabeth Netto Calil Zarur
& Charles Muir Lovell
$35 (360 page paperback)

19th Century Mexico was a period of unprecedented political turmoil.  One result of this instability was that many religious practices moved from the church to the home, and the retablo art form—sacred paintings on tin—flourished.  With over 1700 objects, New Mexico State University holds the largest collection of retablos of any museum in the United States.  Eminent scholars from the US and Mexico have studied this collection and placed it in a broad cultural context including art history, history, anthropology, folk art and religion.  Scholars and novices alike will not be disappointed with this comprehensive text.  Additional topics in the text will provide the reader with information that has not been covered in other texts on the subject such as insights into religious orders who influenced the visual qualities and symbolism in the artworks.  In addition to the essays, the book includes restoration philosophy and conservation methods, a glossary, chronology, maps, and a comprehensive section on the art and iconography of each object in the collection.  The book includes 125 beautiful color plates and 64 halftones.  The visual reproductions of the works are exceptional - brushstrokes, tin surfaces, and age of the artworks are evident in the photographs. Many of the works are complemented with close up photos.