“Santiago Apostol”

Mexico
Oil on metal
Circa 1875
12 x 8.5 in.
Inventory# V098

Attributed to the 19th century folk master called the ""Diving Bird Painter"" (formerly known as the ""Kamikaze Bird Painter""). A cheerful but graphic rendition of Santiago the Moorslayer, painted on a panel cut from one of the 5 gallon tin containers so ubiquitous in the 19th century and explaining the odd size. During biblical times, the apostle St James the Elder ('Santiago Mayor' in Spanish) was mild mannered and not at all war-like but this retablo shows him as he appeared in a visitation to the crusaders in 9th century Compostela, Spain. In this vision James rode a white horse and led the crusaders into battle, slaying and defeating the Moorish occupiers and thus comes to be known as “Santiago Matamoros” or “Saint James the Moorslayer”. This identity as warrior and crusader made him patron of the Spanish soldiers fighting the indigenous during the 16th century conquest of the Americas. The indigenous, for their part, being prohibited horse ownership during the Colonial era, also developed a fascination for this mounted soldier saint. The result is an abundance of ritual folk dance re-enactments of the Moorslayer myth and a plethora of carved and painted images of Santiago Matamoros. Though not an extremely rare subject in retablo art, he is highly sought after by collectors.

Spots of oxidation visible in the photo, otherwise in good condition.