The Tlaxcalan Altarpieces: San Pablo del Monte

San Pablo del Monte church, from the atrium gateway

San Pablo del Monte, aboriginally Cuauhtotoatla, “spring of the mountain bird” and later renamed for Vicente Guerrero—a mixed race hero of Mexican Independence, recently reverted to its colonial name and retains its colonial heritage in the form of its handsome 17th century church with its Pueblan style tiled front.

El Retablo Mayor

 

The church interior boasts a variety of late colonial altarpieces, most notably the recently restored retablo mayor, framed in sumptuous Solomonic style with tiers of helical columns amid a sea of gilded arabesques. 

  

St. Paul;                                                     St. Peter

Dedicated to St Paul, it displays his statue together with that of St Peter. The lateral paintings illustrate episodes from the life of Paul.

  

        La Dolorosa;                                                The Passion of Christ

Among the side altars of note are those of La Dolorosa and The Passion of Christ, also framed in late baroque style. There is also a partial retablo dedicated to St. Barbara.

St. Barbara altarpiece

text © 2019 Richard D. Perry

color images courtesy of © Niccolo Brooker