The Miracle of the Little Spring

This work allegorically depicts the whole of neo-Hispanic society stirred by one of the first miracles of the Virgin of Guadalupe -i.e. the gushing forth of a stream of curative waters a the exact spot where the Virgin made her third appearance to Juan Diego. It is recorded that, when Bishop Zumárraga went to the hill called the Tepeyac so that the Indian, Juan Diego, could show him where the apparitions had occurred, since the latter had forgotten the exact spot at the foot of the said hill's west slope, the Mother of God made the spring appear. In the middle of the group, representing the Church, is Bishop Zumárraga, who, amazed at the miracle, clasps his left hand to his chest while pointing to the stream of water with his other hand. The bishops entourage consists of Spaniards dressed in XVI th-century garb who are all filled with amazement and reverence at the sight of the event. Kneeling with his hands outstretched in worship, Juan Diego is also gazing at the spring. On the right, a group of astounded Indians are talking to each other, and one of them is bending down to drink the miraculous waters. On the left, there are three more witnesses of the miracle, two of them, a Spaniard and a mestizo, atop their carriage, while a black man stares at the miracle through the wheel, completing the panorama of all the races existing in New Spain. This piece was commissioned by the Royal College from Rafael Ximeno y Planes, a Valencia-born artist who was the director of the painting department of the San Carlos Academy. It passed to the MUNAL from the San Diego Viceregal Painting Gallery in 2000.