Santa Rita de Casia

Santa Rita de Casia Retablo
Mexico. Circa 1880
Attributed to Agustin Barajas - The "Skimpy Painter."

Santa Rita de Casia, patroness saint of impossible causes, marriage difficulties, sterility, abuse and mothers, is almost always depicted as she is here, with a skull, a spot of blood and a thorn imbedded in her forehead. According to popular belief, in the year of 1441, during a sermon on the crown of thorns, Santa Rita prayed so intently that a thorn detached itself from her crucifix and lodged itself in her forehead. Her wound became so offensive that she spent the better part of her life in total isolation.

At the age of twelve, shortly after her parents arranged her marriage, Santa Rita bore two sons. Her husband, a wealthy, hot tempered man with many enemies, was involved in a dispute with another local Cambrian family. He became the target of a vendetta and was violently stabbed to death by Guido Chiqui, a member of the feuding family. Wishing to end this long standing family dispute, Santa Rita spoke in a public sermon in which she pardon the perpetrator, but her two sons were not so forgiving. They were determined to avenge their father’s murder. To prevent them from committing mortal sin resulting in eternal damnation Rita prayed to God and asked him to take them instead, and less than a year later both died of natural causes. Mexico. Circa 1880

Attributed to Agustin Barajas - The "Skimpy Painter."

Dimensions: 10 inches x 7 inches.

Condition: scattered paint loss. Tin punctured at top corners and chipped on lower edge. 

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