Mexican Retablo Depicting Saint Anthony of Padua

A tonsured man bends over a small child holding a sphere

This Retablo depicting saint anthony of padua is from Mexico, and dates to the 19th century. It is paint & tin. Though most surviving retablos date from the mid to late nineteenth century, they are usually painted in an earlier Baroque manner, suggesting rural makers far from cities where newer styles were fashionable. A dark, close-up painting of a bowed head with a thin halo and downcast eyes. A child in a red robe with a small halo holds a globe. The surface is dark and covered in many small flecks and losses. It is 15.75 inches wide and 16.25 high.

Deep shadows, tender poses and a wonderfully scuffed finish.