The Appearance of the Virgin and Child to Saint Francis

This work is one of the most colorful and energetic pieces by José Juárez, who carried out various commissions for the Franciscan Convent in México City. It depicts the moment when the humble Saint Francis, kneeling and with a look of yearning on his face, takes the Christ child, who is handed over with all confidence by his mother, in his arms. The Virgin is wearing a pink tunic and an azure cloak fastened at the breast by a sumptuous brooch. The coarseness of the saints habit and his gaunt body contrast with the richness of the bright, flowing garments worn by the members of the heavenly court. The many graceful angels in the picture constitute a bustling framework for the central scene. The flowers scattered on the ground are reminiscent of a compositional device also used by the Spanish artist, Francisco de Zurbarán (1598-1664) and serve to underscore the presence of the little donor in the bottom part of the work. This child was very painstakingly portrayed, as can be appreciated in the fine brushwork of his silk suit; He is holding a scroll with the inscription "To my beloved father, Alonso Gómez". It is worth mentioning that, in 1657, Alonso Gómez witnessed a lease for a house belonging to the Count of Santiago located on Saint Agustine Street that was rented by the painter, José Juárez, which leads us to conjecture that there was a possible friendship between the two of them. This work passed to the MUNAL from the Saint Diego Viceregal Painting Gallery in the year 2000.