San Gil

This extremely rare 19th century Mexican folk retablo represents San Gil, or Saint Gilles the Hermit, a 7th century monk born in Athens but active in the lower Rhone near the monastery he purportedly founded. According to popular legend, Gil lived in the forest near Nimes with his sole companion, his beloved red deer who sustained him on her milk. In his retreat into the forest he was discovered by the king's hunters who had pursued and shot the deer in its place of refuge but wounded the saint instead. San Giles became a patron of the physically disabled. He is also the patron saint of beggars; blacksmiths, breast cancer, breast feeding, cancer patients, disabled people, epilepsy,  forests, hermits, horses, lepers, mental illness, outcasts, poor people, rams, spur makers and sterility.

Oil on heavy gauge tin. Circa 1880.

Dimensions: 14 inches vertical x 10 inches horizontal.