The Museum of Russian Icons and the University Art Museum at New Mexico State University are caretakers of two significant collections, both portraying religious subjects which conform to theological guidelines and traditional iconography.

Icons, from the Greek “eikon” meaning “image or likeness” are sacred paintings of heavenly beings and biblical events. Orthodox Christian icons are displayed in churches on a screen, called an iconostasis, which separates the main part of the church from the altar. In the Orthodox tradition, the home is seen as a satellite of the church. Icons are placed on a shelf in a prominent place known as the “icon corner” or “beautiful corner,” reserved for personal and family prayer.

The Spanish word retablo was derived from the Latin term “retro tabula” for “behind the altar.” It was originally used to designate elaborate wood screens placed behind the main altar displaying sculptures and paintings of saints and other images of devotion. However, in nineteenth-century Mexico, sacred images painted on tin and displayed on home altars were also referred to as retablos.

Iconographers and santeros, the people creating these objects, often remained anonymous to signify the importance of the icon and retablo. While there are examples of signed icons, icons found in the average 19th-century Russian home were unsigned, often produced by a itinerate painter, or were inexpensive copies made in a workshop. The same is true of tin retablos: many santeros drew inspiration from famous 18th century Catholic art, and mass produced retablos for the home.