Photos by David B. Moore Antique ex-votos were created to give thanks for a range of miracles, including a baby that was kicked in the head by a donkey and lived.

History, highlights and helpful hints

During the 19th century, the popularity of small religious paintings called ex-votos reached its height in Mexico. These paintings, which typically are on tin, have be-come so collectible today that Karri and Robert Stowe of Zócalo Fine Colonial Furniture & Stuff in Tucson say they are among “the most popular religious folk art forms in Mexico.”

An ex-voto, which roughly translates as “votive offering,” is a painting of a scene depicting a miracle. Text included on the piece explains the event, and typically the saint or religious figure believed responsible for the miracle is represented.

In her book Mexican Folk Retablos (University of New Mexico Press, 1992), Gloria Fraser Giffords writes that these rustic works were “hung on a church wall or placed near a particular image to commemorate the recovery of the donor from some grave danger.”

While it is difficult to trace the precise origins of ex-votos, it is believed that illustrated offerings of thanks to religious figures date back to ancient Greece. The tradition continued over the centuries, and the Spanish brought the practice to the New World. Giffords notes that Mexican ex-votos produced from colonization until the end of the 18th century were relatively costly to make and, therefore, were commissioned primarily by the wealthy.  

The availability of tin in the 1800s made ex-votos accessible to the general public, and as their popularity grew, artisans who often had no artistic training began creating the paintings. Collector and dealer Nancy Nenad says these artisans may have sold ex-votos illustrating common themes, such as overcoming illness, in front of churches. The narrative could then be added to personalize the painting before it was hung in a church.

The Stowes explain that the public display of ex-votos is one of the elements that sets them apart from other types of devotional Mexican folk art. “Placing these depictions of extraordinary events in a place of worship provided the entire community at large a forum to appreciate the miracle that took place between one of their own and the divine.”

The popularity of ex-votos began declining in the mid-1900s. Today, several Mexican artists have resurrected the practice and can be commissioned to produce modern-day paintings.


THINGS TO CONSIDER
• Motifs. The subject matter found in ex-votos can be broken into general categories. Popular topics include scenes of someone who is gravely ill or in the hospital; depictions of accidents or natural disasters, such as volcanos and earthquakes; and illustrations of the return of a missing family member or animal.
• Materials. Early Mexican ex-votos were produced on canvas for wealthy families and may include gold leafing. During the 19th century, tin was affordable and readily available, making it the material of choice. The majority of antique ex-votos found today are tin. Also look for wood paintings.
• Components. Most ex-votos contain three elements: a written narrative of the miracle, which usually is found at the bottom of the painting; a scene capturing the event that takes up the middle portion of the piece; and a depiction of the saint or saints to whom the miracle is attributed. In many cases, the holy figure is painted in the upper part of the ex-voto and may be set in a cloud. In addition, most antique ex-votos were not signed by the artisan.
• Written narrative. Because many ex-votos were created by untrained artists, the written narrative often used phonetic spellings, regional dialects and was completed in cursive script. By contrast, the written narrative on modern-day ex-votos typically is done in print format. Many times, authentic pieces will include the date the event took place. However, while a date may be included in the narrative, this does not ensure it is old, as it could be fabricated.
• Aging. The back side of old tin ex-votos should reveal gray or dark-colored rust marks. Contemporary tin ex-votos made to look old often have rust with a reddish hue.

WHERE TO FIND THEM
• In Arizona. Zócalo Fine Colonial Furniture & Stuff in Tucson carries antique ex-votos, as does The Purple Lizard Boutique and Meza’s in Art, both in Phoenix.
• On the Web. Visit colonialspanish.com, historia-antiques.com and deserttraders.com. Nancy Nenad offers her assortment of old and new ex-votos on eBay at stores.shop.ebay.com/funkychickeneggranch.