A rich tradition of religious painting flourished in New Mexico during the years prior to statehood in 1912. In the Spanish colonial era, many painters and their workshops created painted wood
panels depicting various santos, or saints, and Christian holy figures, earning for themselves the title of santeros - saint makers. These colorful, narrative panels, called retablos, were
worshipped in churches and private homes. Their heyday in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries remains a largely overlooked episode of the history of art in New Mexico.
This book and accompanying exhibition, originating at the Phoenix Art Museum, is groundbreaking in its approach. Previously unconsidered questions and the biographies of various santeros are
explored, as well as the relationships among artists, workshops, and patrons. The essays explore themes of art and religious value, artists' interpretations of religious symbolism, and the
stylistic development of the santeros.
