FORMS OF MEXICAN FOLK ART AND CRAFTS:

RETABLO or LAMINAS

It is derived from the word retable or “behind the altar”. Retablos are oil paintings, usually on tin, of a Christian saint or saints. They were painted by untrained artists from the provinces of Mexico . They were to devotional paintings on sheets of tin coated with iron, which depict saints and religious figures. Retablo art forms flourished during the second half of the 19th century in Mexico . They were first painted on canvas and wood, then on hand-hammered copper plates. The paintings proliferated in the 19th century when cheap sheets of tin, imported to Mexico from Europe, became available to the artists. Many retablos were presented in highly embossed and decorated tin frames. At the end of the 19th century hand-painted retablos fell from favour and were replaced by commercial chromolithographs from France and Germany . Although retablos are captivating and colourful, they were used less for adornment than for protection for the home and its inhabitants against the maladies of life. Devout Mexicans placed them on their home altars, where they were appealed to for good health, prosperity, and relationships, protection from all evils and for eternal salvation. The use and worship of retablos was a very central part of the lives of the Mexican people, and their power and meaning carry on even today.

EX-VOTOS

In Mexico , an ex-voto is most commonly a personal thank you note to God, often taking the form of folk art.  Ex-votos are modest narrative paintings offering thanks to religious figures prayed to in times of serious illnesses or tragic accidents. In images of Jesus, Mary or a patron saint, ex-votos exhibit the deep religious faith of their storytellers. In most cases, the ex-voto is signed and dated, and explains why the giver is giving thanks - what God did for him or her. Complete with written tales and dates, ex-votos provide insight into the every day culture and lives of the people of Mexico in the 19th and early-20th centuries.  The paintings represent a situation in which a person has prayed for a miracle to a particular saint and in exchange for answering their plea, the petitioner has promised to give an offering in the name of the saint. In many cases, they tell a very touching personal story. Though some ex-votos are painted by the person receiving the miracle, most are produced by commissioned artists who specialized in this type of work. Most villages had at least one professional ex-voto artist. The client would relate the story of the miracle to the artist who would then interpret the story with images and words. The ex-voto is most often left at a church altar. The most common reason for thanks is health, with many ex-votos dedicated after operations.  Survival of accidents is a close second. Ex-votos are found in nearly all Mexican churches.