Our Lady of Guadalupe

Miguel Cabrera - A Faithful Portrait of Juan Diego - 1752 - Oil on panel - Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe - Mexico CityOur Lady of Guadalupe is a Catholic title of the Blessed Virgin Mary associated with a Marian apparition and a venerated image enshrined within the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. Also known as the Virgin of Guadalupe and La Morenita, she is known for her 1531 appearance before St. Juan Diego, and three later appearances before him. 

When he was 50 years old, Juan Diego and his wife were among the first indigenous people to accept baptism and convert to Christianity after its introduction to Mexico by Spanish conquistadors and missionaries.

“According to tradition, The Virgin asked that a shrine in her name be built on the spot where she appeared, Tepeyac Hill, which is now in a suburb of Mexico City. Juan Diego told the bishop about the apparition and request, but he didn’t believe him and demanded a sign before he would approve construction of the church. The appearance of the Virgin of Guadalupe to an indigenous man is said to be one of the forces behind creating the Mexico that we know today: a blend of Spanish and native blood. Her dark skin and the fact that the story of her apparition was told in the indigenous language of Nahuatl and in Spanish are said to have helped convert the indigenous people of Mexico to Christianity at the time of the conquest. She is seen as having a blend of Aztec and Spanish heritage.” (Huff Post - LATINO VOICES 12/12/2013 04:49 pm ET Updated Dec 06, 2017)

The name (Our Lady of Guadalupe) also refers to the Marian apparition itself. She holds a special place in the religious life of Mexico and is one of the most popular religious devotions. Her image has played an important role as a national symbol of Mexico.

Starting in the seventeenth century, the Virgin of Guadalupe was increasingly a subject for religious painters. Artist Juan Correa and his atelier produced many such images. Increasingly there was an emphasis on the accuracy of the image to the original, and Correa created a wax template to ensure that every detail was correct. Guadalupe became the focus of patriotism, with her intervention being called upon in catastrophic events and then rendered in art.

The image featured here was created by Miguel Cabrera (1695–1768). He was a Mestizo painter born in Oaxaca, who moved to Mexico City, the capital of Viceroyalty of New Spain (later, Mexico). During his lifetime,Cabrera was recognized as the greatest painter in all of New Spain. He created religious and secular art for the Catholic Church and wealthy patrons.