Mexican Retablo Depicting Holy Mother & Child

Crowned mother, crowned child and a wreath of red roses all around

This Retablo depicting holy mother & child is from Mexico, and dates to the 19th century. It is paint & tin. Spanish missionaries brought altarpiece traditions to sixteenth century Mexico and used small devotional paintings of saints to teach Christianity, building on older pre-Columbian habits of venerating sacred images. A close portrait of a crowned woman in a red gown and olive scarf holding a crowned child. A garland of painted roses frames them against teal. The faces show small flecks and scuffs, and the cloak bears faint writing. It is 10 inches wide and 14 high.

The roses are very busy, and the faces keep their composure.