Virgin of the Rosary of Pomata
Some aspects of the indigenous world came together in the representations of the Virgin. Join us and get closer to the cultural mixes present in colonial art.
By Colonial Museum
18th Century
Virgin of the Rosary of Pomata (Siglo XVIII) by Unknown artistColonial Museum
This image, inspired by the advocation of the Virgin of the Rosary, is testimony to the cultural crossbreeding that occurred in the colonial era in the Andes area. It is believed that it was the Dominican order that introduced this iconography in the Peruvian town of Pomata.
This work is based on the sculpture that the Dominicans placed in the church of Santiago de Pomata and that was considered miraculous. In it the effigy is portrayed as it was venerated on its altar, dressed in fine dresses, and surrounded by red curtains and flower arrangements.
Although the painting follows the Western model to represent Mary, elements typical of the Andean indigenous world are seen in it, for example, the feather crowns that adorn the head of mother and child and that were common in the clothing of the inca nobility.
The triangular shape of Maria’s dress, adorned with pearls and bows, refers to the santos cage dolls and also evokes the mountains, symbols of Pachamama, an Andean divinity that embodies Mother Earth, protector of all beings.
At the feet of the Virgin are three cherubs represented as winged heads and a moon that, in addition to Christian symbolism, is a celestial body venerated by American indigenous groups, who associate it with the sacred feminine.
Créditos
MUSEOS COLONIAL Y SANTA CLARA
Museum Director
María Constanza Toquica Clavijo
Museology
María Alejandra Malagón Quintero
Curation
Anamaría Torres Rodríguez
María Isabel Téllez Colmenares
Collection Management
Paula Ximena Guzmán López
Editorial
Tanit Barragán Montilla
Communications
Jhonatan Chinchilla Pérez
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