A Century of Retablos: The Dennis & Janis Lyon Collection of New Mexican Santos, 1780-1880

by Charles Carrillo, Thomas J. Steele

Over the past decade, tremendous attention has been focused on the arts of 18th and 19th century New Mexico. This period, prior to statehood in 1912, is termed colonial and benefited from a creative and religious culture that populated the region. Retablos, painted panels depicting the various saints worshipped in the churches and private homes, were an important part of the rich history. This catalogue is the premier publication of an exceptional and rare collection and fully represents the breadth of retablos painting. Introductory essays describing the art and religious values as well as religious dimensions of specific artists' intent and stylistic development are captured. Individual descriptive entries examining the iconography and social history of each painting complete the presentation which will be of great use to the ongoing study of southwestern art, history and collecting.

242 pages, Hardcover

First published December 25, 2007

Reviews

[Jose Esquibel · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you already have an appreciation for the early New Mexico "santero" tradition of religious art, or if you are interested in learning more about the art and iconography, this book is a must read. Nearly all the illustrations are full-page and the clarity of the images is of high quality.

Charlie and Fr. Tom were already collaborating on this volume during the time that Charlie and I were conducting research and writing "A Tapestry of Kinship: The Web of Influence Among Escultores and Carpinteros in the Parish of Santa Fe, 1790-1860 (LPD Press, 2004). As a result, Charlie incorporated into " A Century of Retablos" our findings on the new identification of several "santeros," known as "escultores" in their time; in particular, the Aragón brothers (José and José Rafael)and their in-law, José Manuel Benavides (whose work was formerly attributed to the anonymous 'Santa Niño Santero').

Charlie and Fr. Tom are experts in Spanish Catholic iconography, as evident in the detailed description of retablos from the collection of Janis and Dennis Lyons. Charlie has a very keen eye for the most intricate stylistic patterns of various “santeros” and is an expert in matching unsigned works of traditional "santero” art with artists.