page_title: Votive paintings of Mexico
section_title: Origin and history
hierarchical_section_title: Votive paintings of Mexico / Origin and history
caption_attribution_description: Overview of the folk retablo area at the Sanctuary of Chalma in Chalma, Malinalco, Mexico State
context_page_description: Votive paintings in Mexico go by several names in Spanish such as “ex voto, ” “retablo” or “lámina, ” which refer to their purpose, place often found, or material from which they are traditionally made respectively. The painting of religious images to give thanks for a miracle or favour received in this country is part of a long tradition of such in the world. The offering of such items has more immediate precedence in both the Mesoamerican and European lines of Mexican culture, but the form that most votive paintings take from the colonial period to the present was brought to Mexico by the Spanish. As in Europe, votive paintings began as static images of saints or other religious figures which were then donated to a church. Later, narrative images, telling the personal story of a miracle or favor received appeared. These paintings were first produced by the wealthy and often on canvas; however, as sheets of tin became affordable, lower classes began to have these painted on this medium. The narrative version on metal sheets is now the traditional and representative form of votive paintings, although modern works can be executed on paper or any other medium.
context_section_description: Examples of votive art can be found in various places around the globe and at many different periods of history.  In Mesoamerica, developed cultures such as the Olmec, Zapotec, Maya and Mexica had sophisticated religious systems and evidence of votive offerings have been found at many temples, including the Templo Mayor in modern Mexico City, where many of the offerings are left to the rain god Tlaloc and the war god Huitzilopochtli . Many ex voto offerings were related to hunting, war and agriculture.  A number of cave paintings found in northwest Mexico are thought to be votive in purpose.
  The European tradition can be definitively traced back to ancient Greece and can be seen though various European cultures over the centuries. With the dominance of Christianity, ex votos took on Christian themes. Ex voto paintings  of the type seen today in Mexico began as artworks commissioned by wealthy patrons as a result of an answered prayer or recovery from illness. These have their origins in 15th century Italy, and spread over Europe quickly and eventually were painted or commissioned by various levels of society.  Ex voto paintings started as two types: one of a static image of a saint or other personage and one with a depiction of the miracle. The static images came first and vary little. By the 16th century, the narrative version had been established.
  The European ex voto tradition was introduced shortly after the Conquest with the earliest known to exist dating from the 1590s. In fact, there is a record of the conquistador Hernán Cortés making an ex-voto to give thanks for being able to walk away from a scorpion bite without becoming ill. As in Europe, the tradition began with wealthy families having depictions of saints painted with the narrative version coming shortly thereafter. In a number of respects, the Mexican Catholic ex voto tradition is a blending of the European and Mesoamerican traditions, especially in the early colonial period. Many ex votos are dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe, who is often considered to be a transfiguration of the mother goddess Tonantzin. On some depictions of saints from this time can be seen fangs, which are associated with Quetzalcoatl .  Since the establishment of the Mexican Catholic ex voto, the tradition has remained intact to the present day with relatively little change.
  The wealthy had their votive paintings done on canvas and these were donated to churches.  Most votive paintings would be of this type until the 18th century. At this time, sheets of tin became relatively inexpensive, allowing for the masses to donate pieces made by themselves or by a local artist. The most prolific period of votive painting production by the lower classes occurred from the late 18th to early19th centuries. In addition to the availability of tin sheets, another reason for the popularity of votive paintings was the political instability of Mexico from  late 18th century through much of the 19th. This promoted the devotion to local images and folk saints, along with pilgrimages to their sites. Both types of votive paintings, static images and narrative ones were widely produced in the 19th century. Static images on tin were produced for home shrines and narrative images were made to donate or to leave at pilgrimage sites. Static images are fairly uniform, but the narrative ones show a wide range of creativity.
  Until the end of the 19th century, it is estimated that thousands of hand-painted votive paintings were produced by workshops, with a number in highly embossed and decorated tin frames. At the end of the 19th century, votive paintings, especially of the static type fell out of favor with the arrival of cheater chromolithographs from France and Germany.
  The narrative type has survived into the 20th century due to its personal nature. There has been some evolution in the folk art. Paintings to commemorate a special event or address a concern in an individual's life have begun to appear. Votive paintings created to petition often relate to money, health and general welfare. However, the maj
caption: Room dedicated with votive paintings and other ex votos at the Sanctuary of Chalma in Mexico State
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