Our Lady of Protection (Nuestra Señora del Patrocinio)

Discussion

FROM THE BARNES FOUNDATION’S CATALOG

Painted in New Mexico, this small religious scene, or retablo, was meant for private devotion in a chapel or home. Retablos typically depict saints, angels, or, as here, the Virgin Mary. Holding the Christ Child, the Virgin wears a large cloak that envelops both figures, underscoring her role as protector. The New Mexican painters who specialized in these subjects were called santeros . To develop their iconographies, santeros looked to a variety of printed materials, including woodcuts, pamphlets, and illustrated Bibles.

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