Mexican school of the 17th century.
"Virgin of Guadalupe".
Oil on canvas.
Measurements: 173 x 83 cm.
The iconography of the Virgin of Guadalupe acquired great richness and variety especially from the 17th century onwards. The Virgin of Guadalupe is the most important and most worshipped Virgin in Mexico and other Latin American countries. Since the time of the viceroyalty, a complex iconography has developed around her cult, and a great artistic production that is characterised by the conjunction of local art with the European artistic tradition brought from Spain. The origin of the Virgin of Guadalupe is from Extremadura, but the Mexican version has its own origins. An ancient legend tells that in 1531, she appeared to a recently baptised Indian named Juan Diego. He asked him to ask the bishop to build a chapel in his honour, leaving his image imprinted on the Indian's tunic. This event became known as the Miracle of the Roses, and was recorded in the "Nican Mopohua", a text presumably written by the Indian Antonio Valeriano. The Novo-Hispanic image of the Virgin of Guadalupe always appears surrounded by rays of sunlight, an iconographic feature that comes from the apocalyptic and sibylline Virgins, both celestial apparitions. Her iconography was also completed by partially assimilating the immaculist iconography, whose symbolism was established in Spain during the 16th century. It is worth mentioning that, during Spanish colonial rule, a mainly religious painting was developed, aimed at Christianising the indigenous peoples. Local painters were modelled on Spanish works, which they followed literally in terms of type and iconography. The most frequent models were harquebusier angels and triangular virgins; however, in the early years of the 19th century, at the time of independence and the political opening up of some of the colonies, several artists began to represent a new model of painting with its own identity.