Novo-Hispanic school; second half of the 18th century.

Novo-Hispanic school; second half of the XVIII century.
"Dolorosa".
Oil on canvas.
Presents Puncture and faults.
Measurements: 60.5 x 45 cm; 70 x 54 cm (frame).
During the Spanish colonial domination a painting of marked religious character was consolidated, conceived as an instrument of evangelization and oriented to the Christianization of the indigenous peoples. Local artists worked on the basis of peninsular models, which they faithfully reproduced both in human types and iconography, favoring the diffusion of a homogeneous and easily recognizable visual language.
The iconography of the Virgin of Sorrows and the Virgin of Solitude, closely linked to popular religiosity, also acquires special relevance. In these representations, Mary appears alone, with her heart pierced by swords or submerged in a deep emotional isolation, evoking the extreme pain after the loss of her Son. The explicit weeping, with tears running down her face, intensifies the pathos of the scene and reinforces its capacity to move the faithful.
The devotion to the Sorrows of the Virgin has its roots in the Middle Ages and was decisively promoted by the Servite Order, founded in 1233. Over the course of time, various iconographic formulations were developed, centered on Mary as the figure of suffering.