Here we have an incredible piece that actually carries some weight. This is a 19th-century Mexican tin retablo (or laminate) depicting the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and it’s about as honest as they come. No over-painting, no "polishing," just 150 years of prayer and oxidation.
Likely hammered out between 1860 and 1880, this isn't some high-church commission; it’s provincial folk art, painted by a hand that cared more about devotion than "perfection." Mary is captured here with a heavy-lidded, contemplative gaze and a stylized, bleeding heart that feels remarkably modern in its graphic simplicity. The blue of her mantle has held its ground, still popping against the darkened, earthen tones of the background.
The metal itself is exactly what you want to see. The reverse is pitted and oxidized, showing that true "coke tin" grit, and the original soldered hanging tab is still intact at the top. Most of these were ripped off or replaced with wire decades ago. The edges are rough, the paint is crackled (beautiful craquelure throughout), and the periphery shows the kind of flaking that only comes from a century of hanging in a smoky home altar.
If you’re into the moody, tactile side of Victorian-era religious antiquities, this one hits the mark. It’s got a presence that a lithograph just can't touch.
The antique retablo painting comes out of the estate of a serious Mexican art collector in Minnesota. The Retablo was likely created in the 1870s.
The antique Spanish Colonial retablo measures 13 1/2" tall by 9 1/2" wide. The vibrant colors through the rust will haunt you to no end. There is evidence of age throughout the painting (see pics), specifically the speckles of rust(?) on the front and reverse. None of it takes away from the power of the piece. Please see all pics as they are part of the description.
I ship FedEx shipping to street addresses in the continental USA only (no PO Boxes). Free shipping on the amazing antique Mexican art.
The face on this folk art masterpiece will pierce you until the end of time. And that’s a good thing.
