The Virgin of the Carmen with Saint Theresa and Saint John of the Cross

The two most venerated and representative saints of the Order of the Barefoot Carmelites are Saint Theresa of Ávila, the founder of the said order, and Saint John of the Cross, a Carmelite theologian and poet. Saint Theresa is credited with having established the rule creating the said congregation, which later included a male branch thanks to the support of Saint John of the Cross. In this work, both personages are depicted in a devout, submissive posture, kneeling before their great patroness, the Virgin of the Carmen, holding the Christ child. The Virgin is crowned as an empress and decked out in a cloak covered with gold stars alluding to the Marian attributes. The hardness of Her face, along with the stiff tilting of Her head and bending of Her arms, signal a rigidity which contrasts with the sweet expression of the saints. The face and posture of the Child, half naked and seated on a white cloth, partake of the same rigidity as is displayed by His mother. At His feet, a group of angels serve as supporting thrones for the Virgin. In the top half, the artist has depicted a group of angelic musicians framing the Holy Ghost, who crowns the scene with a halo of light. Saint Theresa is wearing the attire of the Barefoot Carmelites, consisting of a wimple and dark habit with a lighter-colored hood. Her hands express her admiration and devotion for the Virgin, while the posture of Saint John shows him to be much more moved in the presence of his Patroness. The artist has omitted some symbols associated with the two figures, such as the scapulary, the doctoral cap and the arrow in the heart. This work hung in the San Diego Viceregal Painting Gallery, entering the MUNAL in the year 2000.