Lot 170
Latin American, Mexico, ca. 1900 CE. An antique Mexican ex-voto with an intriguing narrative and composition, depicting a prison barracks the entrance guarded by an armed officer with two other officers marching inside the building marked "CUARTEL" (barracks). The streets and buildings are depicted in three point linear perspective; note how the building furthest in the background presents as jutting forward into space. Above and to the left floats a vision of the Holy Virgin of San Juan to whom this ex-voto is dedicated. The text below generally translates, "Francisco Belangues, having been incriminated, was put in a prison barracks where he prayed with all his heart to the Holy Virgin of San Juan for his freedom. This retablo is offered in gratitude for her promise on December 8, 1900." Size: 10" x 7-1/2" (25.4 cm x 19.1 cm).
Ex-votos are narrative paintings indicative of healing or blessing popular in Mexican visual culture. This tradition was inspired by the Greeks and was brought to the New World by the Spaniards. These votive paintings were hung in a church or placed adjacent to an image in order to celebrate and give thanks for the recovery of the donor from an illness or dangerous situation. In essence, ex-votos represent the spiritual or physical gains received by the donor. These paintings include hand painted passages that relate the details of the cure or the rescue. Oftentimes, however, this commentary is replete with regional dialect and difficult to translate. Nevertheless, if you are familiar with the Spanish language, you will probably get the gyst of these anecdotal paintings.
Provenance: Ex-Historia Antiques, James Caswell, Santa Monica, CA
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#110011
- Condition: Normal surface wear. Text is tricky to decipher but legible with effort.
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