A Century of Retablos: the Janis and Dennis Lyon Collection January 1, 2008

'A Century of Retablos:The Janis and Dennis Lyon Collection of New Mexican Santos, 1780-1880' is about the rich tradition of religious painting flourished in New Mexico during the years prior to statehood in 1912. These colorful, narrative panels, or retablos, depict Christian saints and holy figures and were worshiped in churches and private homes. Their heyday in the 18th and 19th centuries remains a largely overlooked episode of the history of art in New Mexico. The exhibition features for the first time approximately 90 painted wood panels from one of the finest private collections of retablos in the world.