Traditional ex-voto, depicting a Child cured of Smallpox (dated 15th of March, 1907)
Mexican
oil on tin
12" x 10"
Collection of the artist, Whanganui
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An ex-voto is a small devotional painting traditionally found in Italy, Spain and Mexico. A client would commission the village artisan to paint an ex-voto to a specific saint to give
thanks for saving them from a specific incident.
The ex-voto usually depicts the commissioner, a particular saint, symbols to represent the event and several lines of text under the imagery to supplement the symbolism.
Traditionally painted on tin, contemporary ex-votos are painted on other types of metal, such as aluminuim.
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Commission your own ex-voto to document your life experiences: luck and misfortunes, gains and losses, loves, joys, and sorrows.
