'Retablos' Exhibit comes to Kenedy Ranch Museum

The retablo exhibit includes some unique pieces, such as the depiction of the Holy Trinity as identical persons (at left). Depicting the three persons of the Trinity as identical was condemned by Pope Benedict XIV in the 18th century. Another rare depiction is that of the Blessed Mother’s family with St. Joachim and St. Anne pictured with a young Mary (second from right). Alfredo E. Cárdenas, South Texas Catholic

They came from one of the largest cities in the world to be shown in one of the smallest cities in Texas—the Catholic faith being their binding connection. “Retablos: The Art Of Faith II” exhibit will be at the Kenedy Ranch Museum in Sarita through Jan. 17, 2014.

The exhibit includes 21 retablos and five ex-votos depicting the Catholic faith in Mexico. It is the second time the museum has shown retablo artwork from the Instituto Manuel Toussaint; the first showing was in 2007. The institute is an ecumenical center in Mexico City for the conservation and promotion of Mexico’s artistic heritage. The artwork is part of a collection of the Isaac and Alicia Backal, a Jewish family residing in Mexico City.

The exhibit is part of the Kenedy Ranch Museum 10th anniversary observance, Museum Coordinator Homero S. Vera said. The museum is part of The John G and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation, which is a great benefactor of the Catholic Church in south Texas.

Most of the artwork being preserved by the Backals is “popular” art of great value and rich in Christian tradition. This iconography began from the early years of the faith and through the centuries the church has enriched the art of the world. Christians see a need to include images, not only in places of worship, but also in heir homes or places of work, Armando Ruiz said in the institute’s book, “Pintura en Lamina, Un territorio por Descubrir.”

The 21 retablos on exhibit are from artists in Central Mexico during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. These artists did not sign their works, Vera said. Only one retablo in the exhibit is signed, a 1799 rendering of San Luis Gonzaga by Jose Arciva, a famous colonial era painter.

Most retablos of this period are done on either zinc or copper instead of canvas, Vera said. They are devotional paintings of holy images. The exhibit at Sarita, for example, includes a series that depicts the life of Christ from birth to His crucifixion.

A few pieces are of the Holy Trinity in a style not normally seen. Through the ages God the father has been represented as an older man, Jesus the son as a younger man, often with his passion wounds exposed, and the Holy Spirit may be represented by a dove. While the depictions have taken on various forms through the centuries, they have usually depicted three distinct persons.

For a time in the fifteenth century artists were painting the Trinity as three identical persons. Pope Benedict XIV condemned this art form in the 18th century. Still, either out of ignorance or defiance, artists in Mexico continued this practice and several are included in the exhibit.

Another somewhat unique retablo is of the Blessed Mother as a young girl with her father St. Joachim and her mother St. Anne. Another retablo features Our Lady of the Light with the baby Jesus. A number of saints are also contained in the exhibit, including San Emigdio, Obispo, Santo Domingo de Guzmán, Santo Niño de Atocha, Santa Clara de Asís, San Luis Gonzaga and San Antonio de Padua.

Ex votos, while sometimes thought of as retablos, is a different art form. Vera said the five ex votos in the collection represent art from the common man rather than professional artists. They usually have a handwritten narrative below the rendering describing a miracle that is attributed to Jesus through the intercession of the Blessed Mother or a saint.

In a 1853 ex voto, for example, San Antonio de Padua intercedes for the protection from a rabid dog or wolf. In an 1877 incident, Our Lady of the Light petitions God for a cure for a young boy afflicted with an eye problem. In a 1917 ex voto, peasants are rescued from execution after praying to the crucified Jesus.

The exhibit is showing at the Carriage House of the Kenedy Ranch Museum. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. It is closed on Mondays and holidays. Group and student tours are available by reservation. Contact the museum at (361) 294-5751 for more information.