Our experts give the following advice for collecting retablos:

Things To Look For

• Image: The theme or subject determines dollar value. Common saints such as St. Anthony are not as valuable as lesser-known saints like St. Liberata. 
• Style and expression: Generally, a smooth, delicately rendered painting will command a higher price than one that is more crudely or awkwardly crafted. Collectors gravitate toward more details in the figures and composition, and retablos with enhanced anatomical features are desirable.
• Price: Expect to pay $3,000 to $5,000 for the best of the genre—for instance, a hard-to-find image like San Camilo de Lelis in excellent condition and replete with quirky details created by a skilled painter.
 
Things To Avoid

• Poor condition: Expect to find holes (from being nailed into a frame or hammered directly onto a wall or door). These do not detract from value, but severe rust or scrapes do. Retablos often were stacked, so abrasions are common; but if they are in very poor condition, the value lessens.
• Faded or damaged color: Bright colors with an aged patina command the highest price. “People like seeing the age—a sense of mellowing,” states Caswell. Typically, collectors avoid retablos that have faded considerably or those with portions of paint that have chipped away.
• Odd sizes: If a tin retablo varies from one of the standard sizes, it probably has been tampered with, states Caswell. It may have been cut down, which lessens the value because part of the painting is missing.

Where to find it

In Arizona and California: For authentic retablos, visit Allan N. Bone Gallery, PALIA.urban hacienda, or Fiesta Furnishings, all in Scottsdale. Historia Antiques in Santa Monica, California, also carries a fine selection. In San Francisco, stop by Colonial Arts on Union Street.

On the Internet: View both Historia Antiques’ and Colonial Arts’ selection of retablos on their Web sites: historia-antiques.com and mexicanretablos.com. In addition, check out colonialspanish.com.

Photo by David B. Moore Nuestro Señor de los Trabajos, or Our Lord of Hardships, circa 1870-1880s

Photo by David B. Moore This tin retablo depicting San Francisco de Paula, or St. Francis of Paola, dates from the 1870s. Shown with a rosary and staff, images of the patron saint often were hung in Mexican homes to protect against fires and plagues.