Artes de Mexico Ex votos Bilingual Edition Softcover
Artes de Mexico Ex votos Bilingual Edition Softcover
Ex Votos — Artes de México, Número 53
An ex voto is a small devotional painting made to fulfill a vow of gratitude. When someone fell sick or got into trouble and then recovered, the tradition was to paint the story on a piece of tin or metal, dedicated to the saint or holy figure who had answered the prayer.
Every ex voto follows the same essential structure: the moment of crisis, the divine figure hovering above, and a handwritten account below naming the person, recounting what happened, and giving thanks. They were painted by ordinary people or local self-taught artists, and that is exactly what makes them extraordinary.
Número 53 gathers essays covering the art of devotion, ancient miracle icons, maritime ex votos, the retablos of painter Hermenegildo Bustos, revolutionary-era pieces, the feminine voice in ex voto tradition, and the votive offerings of migrants. Together they trace the form across regions, eras, and social positions, from colonial Guanajuato to the U.S.-Mexico border. The photography throughout is exceptional.
