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How did painted ex-votos show gratitude for religious help?

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rooster weather vane — Folk art Rooster weather vane, sheet and wrought iron, American, 19th century; in the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C. 73.6 × 166.4 × 4.5 cm.

In the context of folk art, painted ex-votos serve as a powerful expression of gratitude by documenting a personal encounter with the divine. These small narrative paintings are created to fulfill a vow, acting as a visual testimony to a specific instance where a believer was saved from disaster.1

Typically, these works depict a scene of an accident, illness, or other life-threatening event. The narrative composition illustrates the moment of crisis alongside the intervention of a saint or the Madonna, who is credited with providing the necessary religious help. By commissioning or creating these paintings and hanging them in churches or chapels, the individual provides a permanent record of their deliverance, thereby honoring their commitment to the deity or saint for the assistance received.123