The Virgin of Guadalupe (Virgen de Guadalupe). Miguel Gonzalez c. 1698 CE Based on the original Virgin of Guadalupe. Mexico city, 16th century CE Oil on canvas on wood, inlaid with Mother-of-pearl.

• Form
  • The Virgin Mary is surrounded by four roundels that tell the story of the Virgin of Guadalupe
  • In the roundels, there are depictions of her appearance to Juan Diego, and the moment the Virgin’s image is revealed on his tunic
• Materials
  • Brocade on Virgin’s robes made of enconchados
  • Enconchado paintings often include ornate frames inspired by Japanese Nanban lacquer work
  • Enconchado paintings have a luminous and vibrant color patterning that enhances the other-worldly effect that this object represents
• Context
  • The painting describes an event in which Mary appeared to Native Americans on a hill called Tepeyac, a shrine sacred to a pre-Columbian goddess
  • In 1531 Mary ordered a Native American convert, Juan Diego, to tell the local archbishop to build a sanctuary on this site, Mary addressed Juan Diego in Nahuatl, his native tongue.
  • Mary made the hilltop flower, and Juan Diego brought the flowers to the archbishop; Juan Diego’s cloth revealed the Virgin’s image
  • The Virgin of Guadalupe is the most revered symbol in Mexico and the patroness of New Spain
  • In Guadalupe images, Mary always stands on a crescent moon surrounded by sun rays with clouds behind her.
  • An eagle perched on a cactus at bottom center s a symbol of Mexico today