My first encounter with Ex-voto paintings was on a trip to Mexico City in 2021 at the Frida Kahlo Home museum known also as “The Blue House”. Her and Diego Rivera had become collectors of these small foil paintings. I am not sure if it was a curratorial decision or the original home decor, but the paintings hung in the room where her bed was, the bed she laid in and painted from while she was on bedrest.
Ex-votos are small paintings usually made as thankyous to Saints who have granted miracles to the patrons who commissioned or created them. They depict the miraculous scenes in painting and are usually accompanied by a brief description.
Their popularity is now mainly attributed to Mexican Catholic culture, but ex-votos originated in the Catholic regions of Italy and Spain, where these paintings would line sections of a chruch. I’m imagining they served as a form of entertainment to the local communities and fulled juicy gossip stories from the people who read them.
I did a deep dive online and found a select few, I’ve been enjoying looking at all of these, some are wildly hilarious, a young woman thanking a saint for successfully sneaking in her boyfriend without getting caught by her parents. There are also fantastical ones depicting scenes of ghosts and aliens. You’ll see that some of the more contemporary ones are satirical in nature, but I wanted to include them because they remain true to the nature of the ex-voto. In this post you’ll find a few standout ones that I hope you will enjoy.
In my research I also came across a Russian Tumblr page dedicated to old and contemporary ex-votos which I will link here incase you feel like browsing through more :)
Selected few
The other night my boyfriend came into my bedroom through the window because my parents do not want him, but suddenly they came because they heard our noise. I dedicate this to San Ramón Nonato who made the miracle that they did not realize that my boyfriend was hiding behind the bed and believed the story that it was my cat that made the noise. Salazar Luiciana, Tamaulipas 1940
In the night I began to feel very thirsty, I went down to the Kitchen but to my horror there were aliens eating at my table. My dog who is usually a good guard was inmobile. I give thanks to the Virgin of Zapopen because the aliens did not see me and I was able to remain in my home safe and sound until they left.
Full of anger against my brothers Damien, Celestino and Juan Lopez Soto when they came back from the fields I gave them bad food and all because they didn’t let me go with them to the dance in town with my boyfriend. But when I saw them begin to get sick from the food I asked the Virgin of Solitude to restore their health and she did that same day, thank you. Matilde Lopez Soto. Oaxaca, Oaxaca. 1958
Gilberto Morales did not wait a year to remarry after the passing of his wife. So in the nights she would haunt my husband in the bedroom and appear as a ghost. I thank our Lady of Zapopen for making sure that his deceased wife’s spirit could rest in peace and not appear to us again. 14th of November 1954
One night my boyfriend Pedro and I went to the cemetery so no one would see us since my parents do not allow me to have a boyfriend. We were there when all of a sudden some skeletons appeared to us and gave us a great scare that made us leave running. Thanks to the Virgin of Guadalupe the skeletons did not reach us. Miss Lupita Gomez. Tequila, Jalisco. November 5, 1972
We could not get a hold of our horse names Blanquito and it had already kicked two of the men who had attempted to restrain it. We asked for the help of the Saint Nino de Atocha that helped bring the horse to a docile state and we were able to get a hold of it. Ayazdeo Lopez Rives. Jalisco, Mexico .1953
Virgin of Guadalupe I give you the infinite thanks for helping me avoid being cut and hurt when a client of mine tried striking me with a bottle upon finding out that I was not a woman when we were on our way to the hotel. In seeing myself in such danger I pleaded to you Virgin Guadalupe and here I am safe. La “Buenota”. Bario de la Mersed, 1999
I give infinite thanks to the Virgin of Guadalupe for giving me the blessing of being the best prostitute of the Colony. Even though business is struggling I have the best clients and they look for me because of my dangerous curves that all the men love. Zulema “La Chula”. Mexico City. 1999
After leaving Sunday Mass on the 15th of July 1942 the sisters Rosa and Carmen Ruiz had a great scare when they were assulted at the market and held at gunpoint. Immediatly they pleaded for the intercession of the Virgin of San Juan de los Lagos so that the man would not kill them. The assailant only took their bags where they only had minor pocket change and did not cause them any physical harm.
My granddaughter Remedios became very ill when she gave birth to her son. We prayed to San Ramon Nonato so that the child would not become orphaned. The saint answered our prayers and my granddaughter’s health was restored. October 5, 1949
When we returned to the town in the morning after visiting the outdoors my family and I saw a UFO over the town had taken all of the town’s residents. We give thanks to the Virgin of Zapopen that the UFO did not spot us and returned the people to the town.
My daughter Claudia was at school practicing gymnastics when she had an an appendix attack. The Doctor that assisted her said she was in danger of loosing her life. In anguish, I prayed to the Virgen of Zapopen that she would save her and the virgin in her infinite mercy guided the hand of the doctor and my daughter is now well. Guadalajara, June 21 ,1949