Novo-Hispanic school; XVIII century.

Novo-Hispanic school; XVIII century.
"Virgin of Guadalupe".
Oil on copper.
With silver frame.
Measurements: 14 x 10.5 cm; 17 x 14 cm (frame).
Although the origin of the cult of Guadalupe goes back to Extremadura, the novo-Hispanic version developed its own identity, deeply rooted in the American territory. According to ancient tradition, in 1531 the Virgin appeared on the hill of Tepeyac to Juan Diego, a recently baptized indigenous man, requesting the construction of a temple in his honor. As proof of the veracity of the apparition, she left her image miraculously imprinted on the seer's tilma, in the episode known as the Miracle of the Roses. This story was collected in the Nican Mopohua, a text attributed to Antonio Valeriano, and became the narrative and theological foundation of the cult.
During the viceregal period, painting was above all an instrument of evangelization. Religious images, reproduced on canvases, panels or small-format coppers such as the present one, played an essential role in the Christianization of indigenous peoples. Local artists initially worked from Spanish models and European engravings, which they reproduced with remarkable fidelity in types and compositions. Among the most widespread formulas were the virgins of triangular silhouette and the harquebusier angels, characteristic expressions of the American Baroque imaginary.
However, far from limiting itself to mere imitation, the Novo-Hispanic school progressively developed its own language, the result of a dialogue between European tradition and local sensibility. Already at the dawn of the 19th century, in the context of the independence movements and a growing affirmation of identity, some artists began to explore new expressive forms that anticipated a painting with more autonomous features. In this process, the image of Guadalupe not only remained a symbol of faith, but also consolidated itself as a cultural and political emblem, capable of articulating a shared identity in the transition from colony to nation.