The Nursing Madonna

This painting presents us with an image of the Virgin Mary, head bowed and gaze fixed on her child, as she breastfeeds the infant Jesus. The boy has turned away from his mother’s breast towards the viewer, as if aware of our presence in the room.
The Nursing Madonna and Our Lady of Bethlehem are just two of the names by which this composition is known, and its meaning is reinforced by the tiny white drops that fall from the flowers on the left.
The Virgin is wearing a star-encrusted white veil, an allusion to her purity, and a blue cape covers her body, symbolizing the innocence of her soul. During the viceroyalty period, it was common for the Virgin to be depicted half-length, wearing gold earrings and rings, as we see here, and with rays of light emerging from the heads of both figures, symbolizing their sanctity.