Mexican Retablo Depicting the Powerful Hand

A crowded group of haloed, robed figures above one very large painted hand

This Retablo depicting the powerful hand is from Mexico, and dates to the 19th century. It is paint & tin. Retablos were first painted on wood, canvas and copper for churches, but cheap tin sheets in the nineteenth century made paintings of saints affordable across every class of society. A close-cropped painting of five figures in dark blue, red and green robes with thin halos against a murky gold ground. A large pale hand with long fingers fills the lower area. The surface shows cracks and scratches. It is 10 inches wide and 14 high.

The hand got the best seat and clearly knows it.