Painting Summary: The Virgin Of Mary

The Virgin of Mary has taken up thousands of different forms in Christianity. Each form of The Virgin of Mary has its own story but one quality remains consistent: the purity and chastity of The Virgin Mary. In Our Virgin of Guadalupe a somber and heart rending version of The Virgin Mary can be seen as she is depicted as a pregnant woman, looking down and being in sorrow because of her son's death as she sees the crown of thorns on the ground. Through the use of composition that highlights The Virgin of Guadalupe, Dark color scheme and the narrative of the Apocalyptic Woman and the Virgin Mary, the painting of Our Virgin of Guadalupe evokes a somber and endearing response from the viewers. The composition of this painting brings in the attention to the Virgin of Guadalupe. The dark space in the background, and the light shining directly on her divert the eye to the center of the painting. The curved curtains in the background also frame her in the center. The composition of the painting also brings attention to the crown of thorns at the bottom of the painting. This attention is brought by the flowers on the
Virgin Mary’s veil that bring the eyes down. The painting is very bottom heavy, as most of the detail is fixated downwards. The lack of adornment on the top of the painting highlights the Virgin Mary’s expression and her crossed hands. Her expression is somber as she is looking down towards the floor. Her crossed hands along with her expression evoke sadness which can be understood because her son was killed.
The color scheme of Our Virgin of Guadalupe create sadness. The dark colors in the background, and the navy blue color of the Virgin Mary’s veil come together in contrast with the white dress. The darkness emphasizes the angelic, and pure quality of the Virgin as well as bring attention to her pregnancy. Another example of this contrast can be seen in the use of gold throughout the painting. The painting is on oil on canvas and the use of what seems like gold paint adds dimension to the otherwise dark painting and brings attention to the border of the Virgin Mary’s veil and her crown. Gold is a god like color and it is out of the ordinary from the typical dark color scheme thus the use of gold elevates the Virgin Mary from a normal human being to a heavenly and pious subject in this painting.
The iconography of the painting brings together the story of the Apocalyptic Woman and the Virgin Mary.
The narrative describes "a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars" (12:1) in the story of the Apocalyptic Woman. Similar to the painting as the Virgin of Guadalupe is also depicted as being pregnant. The Virgin of Guadalupe also has a crown of eleven stars but the number is close enough to assume that it was meant to be twelve stars. Twelve is a significant number in catholicism, the twelve stars symbolize the twelve tribes of the Old Testament people and the twelve apostles in the New Testament. In the Apocalyptic Woman, the main subject had to battle with dragons, a symbol of Satan or evil to protect her unborn son, allowing the woman to gain empathy from the viewer as a strong religious
woman.
Our Virgin of Guadalupe is also similar to the Virgin Mary because her veil is covered with white lilies, a symbol of chastity and virtue. The specific parts of lily hold religious significance to the Virgin Mary. The stem of the flower represents her faithful mind, the petals represent her purity and virginity, the scent represents her divinity and the leaves symbolize her humility. The three petals of the lily are also considered a trinity symbol and represent the three christian virtues of charity, hope and faith. Towards the bottom of the painting there is a crown of thorns which references back to Jesus Christ and when he was tortured and mocked by the Roman soldiers. The effect of the crown of thorns can be seen in the crucification of Jesus Christ when the blood is gushing from his forehead. Symbolism of the crown of thorns can be seen in the story of Adam and Eve when they “…cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you…” (Genesis 3:17-18). Thorns are a symbol of the curse of sin that Jesus Christ protected the world from. The inclusion of the crown of thorns thus reminds the viewers of this sacrifice and invokes gratefulness.
This painting evokes an emotion response from the audience and it may have evoked a even more emotional response from the religious audience from the colonial era viewer. The dark colors create somberness throughout the canvas, the color scheme of navy blue, browns and burgundy have a heartbreaking effect to them. The expression on her face also brings sadness to the painting because throughout the painting we see symbols of her purity and her virginity. To see a pious woman like her in sadness has an emotional response from the viewer. The crown of thorns at the bottom of the painting also creates a powerful image because it reminds the viewer that Jesus Christ went through the pain and suffering and eventually death for their sins. Finally, her pregnancy is also highlighted in the painting through the use of colors and contrast and it makes her endearing as she is carrying God within her. All of the elements in this painting come together to bring appreciation for this moral woman who as seen in the story of the Apocalyptic Woman fights dragons, or satan in order to protect her unborn son, and is a woman of virtue and purity as seen in the lilies surrounding her and again with the crown of thorns near her feet reminding viewers about the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Through the use of dark colors and the story of the Apocalyptic Woman and the Virgin of Mary the painter evokes an emotional response to the painting. The composition of the painting brings attention to the, the Virgin of Mary and her purity and chastity further leaving an impact on the viewer. Darkness brings attention to light, and through the use of dark colors, the painter is able to bring attention to the white dress adorned by the Virgin of Mary and her purity. Similarly the attention is brought on the lillies on her veil. The composition of the painting also allows her to be the center of attention and for her pregnancy to be seen. Additionally the narrative of the Apocalyptic Woman and the Virgin Mary allow the motifs of the liles and the crown of thorns to be understood. Science and religion have had contradicting views in the past but would the same level of respect be given to The Virgin Mary had she not been a virgin but still conceived god? Is it the fact that Mary was a virgin when she conceived God that makes her so important in christianity or is there another justification for it.