Latin America, Mexico, ca. 1892. Hand-painted on heavy gauge tin, an ex-voto dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe depicted on the right on behalf of Ladislado Moreno, presumably the gentleman in white praying on his knees before her, who according to the written narrative was ill with a "severe irritation" and was miraculously healed thanks to the Virgin. In this piece, the Virgin Guadalupe is represented in the traditional manner, as a praying Madonna with a tilted head and gently curving body, with hands pressed together in a prayerful gesture and lowered eyes. She is surrounded by a mandorla comprised of golden rays and stands upon a crescent moon that is supported by a cherub. The dedication is dated October 15, 1892. Adding to the splendor of the piece is the meticulously hand-worked tin nicho, featuring beautiful rosettes highlighting the corners and pediment of the intricately detailed frame. Size: 9.875" L x 7" W (25.1 cm x 17.8 cm); 22.375" L x 14" W (56.8 cm x 35.6 cm) in nicho

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 gist of these anecdotal paintings.

Provenance: private Moore collection, Denver, Colorado, USA, acquired thirty years ago

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#122037

Ex-voto shows expected surface wear, minor pigment loss, a perforation at top center for former suspension, and areas of oxidation. Text is legible for the most part. The nicho was probably created later than the ex-voto, but it still shows signs of age, tiny losses to center of upper-most rosette, and oxidation.