Mexico
18th century
Oil on canvas
Height 16" Width 24 1/2"
Provenance: Michael Haskell, Santa Barbara, CA
This Mexican ex voto records a miracle of thanksgiving, showing Saint Michael descending from the clouds to save a man and woman from a charging bull. The archangel appears in the sky in armor and flowing red drapery while the fallen figure, named in the inscription as Felipe, lies in the path of the animal with his wife Antonia nearby. Paintings of this kind were commissioned to give thanks for divine intervention and typically carry a written inscription along the lower edge describing the event.
Rendered in oil on canvas with the direct, narrative style of Mexican votive painting, the scene combines a dramatic sky, a dusty landscape, and closely observed figures. The genre flourished across colonial and nineteenth century Mexico as an act of popular faith, its painters valuing clear storytelling over academic polish. The surviving inscription anchors the image to a specific family and their deliverance, giving the work both devotional and documentary interest.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Mexico
18th century
Oil on canvas
Height 16" Width 24 1/2"
Provenance: Michael Haskell, Santa Barbara, CA
This Mexican ex voto records a miracle of thanksgiving, showing Saint Michael descending from the clouds to save a man and woman from a charging bull. The archangel appears in the sky in armor and flowing red drapery while the fallen figure, named in the inscription as Felipe, lies in the path of the animal with his wife Antonia nearby. Paintings of this kind were commissioned to give thanks for divine intervention and typically carry a written inscription along the lower edge describing the event.
Rendered in oil on canvas with the direct, narrative style of Mexican votive painting, the scene combines a dramatic sky, a dusty landscape, and closely observed figures. The genre flourished across colonial and nineteenth century Mexico as an act of popular faith, its painters valuing clear storytelling over academic polish. The surviving inscription anchors the image to a specific family and their deliverance, giving the work both devotional and documentary interest.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
