Our Lady of Atocha

This painting portrays a small format carving of the Virgin of Atocha. 

The origin of this devotion, today venerated in Madrid, is not clear. It is said that the image was Mozarabic or Visigoth. According to a legend, Saint Peter or his disciples would have taken it to a hermitage in Spain.

Along with these legends, it was also considered that, during the Reconquest, the carving made miracles and allowed the victory of the Spanish Crown over the Muslims. 


Being venerated by the Spanish monarchs, this devotion arrived in America with the Conquest. 

Because it portrays the original sculpture, the image in the Santa Clara Museum is considered a true portrait. The work was reproduced in paintings and engravings, as it was thought that its prodigious character was maintained in these pieces. 

As part of the iconography of this advocation, the Virgin is represented sitting on a throne, dressed in sacred attire: a triangular dress and numerous jewels, including a royal crown that alludes to the monarchy’s preference for this image. 

In the lower part of the image, on a wooden base, there is an inscription with the name of the Marian devotion, which allowed the faithful to easily identify the sculpture. 

The open curtains on both sides of the Virgin confirm that we are facing a true portrait, since in the Spanish Basilica where the sculpture is located, it was unveiled for the celebration of certain festivities. 

Unlike the dark complexion of the original carving, this portrait represents a light-skinned Mary. This is because the work was made, most likely, from an engraving, a technique that generally reproduces the shapes, not the colors, of the represented works. 

In most of his portraits, this advocation is usually represented holding an apple in his right hand. Here, a bouquet replaces this iconographic attribute. 

Jesus Child wears sacred attire like that of the Virgin. 


With his gaze directed towards his mother’s face, the Child makes a gesture of blessing with his left hand.