Latin America, Mexico, ca. early 20th century CE. A gorgeous and expertly rendered tin retablo painting of the Archangel Raphael standing in a landscape with dressed in his traditional flowing vestments with magnificent wings framing his form, holding a single fish in his left hand. The fish is a common identifier for Raphael, and is a reference to Raphael's appearance in the Book of Tobit in the Catholic Bible. In that story, Raphael uses the gallbladder of a fish to heal Tobit's blindness. Hence, he is the patron saint of eyesight and travel, which is also symbolized by his traveler's staff topped with a gourd. Icons like these were placed above household altars to venerate the saints (retablo literally means "behind the altar"). The retablo became wildly popular in the 19th century due to the introduction of tin as an affordable medium. Size: 10" W x 13.6" H (25.4 cm x 34.5 cm)

This piece bears a striking resemblance to another retablo of Archangel Raphael published in "Mexican Devotional Retablos from the Peters Collection" (Philadelphia: Saint Joseph's University, 1994), no. 36, pg. 109, and was likely made by the same artist.

Provenance: private Oglesby, Illinois, USA collection, acquired in the 1990s from various Western US auction galleries

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#184322

A few miniscule scratches to paint; one notably in lower left but none affecting main imagery. Otherwise, intact and excellent with great pigments and detail.