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Lot Essay
The Virgin Mary became a powerful female symbol for Spain’s evangelical mission in the Americas. The avid promotion of Marian devotional images is in large part attributed to mendicant orders, all of whom recognized the persuasive power of the so-called “cult of the Virgin” and were instrumental in the establishment of Spain’s territories abroad. In the Viceroyalty of Peru for example, the image of a motherly figure holding a child held great appeal for the various Andean groups who associated her with Pachamama or Mother Earth. Naturally, many of the devotional images brought to the New World were Spanish in origin; such is the case with Our Lady of Guadalupe from Extremadura and Our Lady of Montserrat from Cataluña, and the present Our Lady of the Forsaken, the patroness of Valencia. Despite the tremendous diversity that existed throughout colonial Latin America, the commonality shared between groups—Christian and pagan alike—of this notion of a divine mother/goddess figure who protected mortals, proved a natural entry point for the evangelization of the local population. Likewise, the persistence of these Old World-derived images of the Virgin Mary solidified the connection to the Spanish crown, despite the vast expanse of the Atlantic. In many instances, these colonial paintings of the Virgin were literal depictions of a medieval statuary cult image and as such, the painting served as a suitable substitute for veneration in the New World.
The origins of Our Lady of the Forsaken, known in Spanish as Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados (Our Lady of the Helpless), date back to 1409, when a Mercedarian priest, Joan-Gilabert Jofré delivered a sermon entreating his congregation to protect and care for the insane. In his belief, the mentally-ill had lost their reason, or perhaps their reason was not fully-formed yet, and therefore were innocent to their sins, which were in fact the Devil’s work. Father Jofré’s sermon paved the way for the creation of the world’s first psychiatric hospital in Valencia, the Hospital d’Innocents, Follcs i Orats and in 1410, the hospital was blessed under the protection of Our Lady, Saint Mary of the Innocents.1 In 1414, the Praiseworthy Brotherhood of the Virgin Mary of the Innocents was created initially with the purpose of showing compassion and charity to the insane, but they soon expanded their mission to include the downtrodden and those leading hapless, unsuitable lives in the eyes of God. In a small chapel next to the hospital was an image of the Virgin, which members of the brotherhood set out to make in statue form. According to legend, several devout pilgrims aimed to carve the statue in three days; on the third day when no news had been heard of its completion, members of the brotherhood went to check on the progress. To their astonishment, the pilgrims had vanished, and in their place was a statue, believed to have been made by angels. This miraculous image became known as Mare de Deu dels Folls, Innocents i Desamparats, Our Lady of the Lunatics, Insane and Forsaken.2
The present work adheres closely to the iconography of the Spanish source image; in Mary’s proper right hand she grasps lilies, while in her left she cradles the infant Jesus who holds a cross in his hands. Both Virgin and Christ child are outfitted in sumptuous robes ornately decorated, in rich hues of burgundy and brown, and with bejeweled crowns upon their heads, befitting of their holy majesty. In the lower register are two small children kneeling in prayer. This addition was made at the request of King Alfonso V who mandated in 1416 that “the image of Our Lady made as titular of the mentioned site should carry two innocents of those sacrificed by Herodes under the folds of the robe,”3 a reference to the Massacre of the Innocents from the Gospel of Matthew. While some invocations of the Virgin were altered in the New World context, colonial paintings of Our Lady of the Forsaken were rendered quite faithful to original image; indeed, the compositional similarities between the present lot and other paintings from centers such as Cuzco and Potosí4 suggest the circulation prints, or more likely paintings depicting the miraculous sculpture. Executed with great care, the present painting demonstrates this anonymous Andean artist’s mastery of his craft.
The origins of Our Lady of the Forsaken, known in Spanish as Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados (Our Lady of the Helpless), date back to 1409, when a Mercedarian priest, Joan-Gilabert Jofré delivered a sermon entreating his congregation to protect and care for the insane. In his belief, the mentally-ill had lost their reason, or perhaps their reason was not fully-formed yet, and therefore were innocent to their sins, which were in fact the Devil’s work. Father Jofré’s sermon paved the way for the creation of the world’s first psychiatric hospital in Valencia, the Hospital d’Innocents, Follcs i Orats and in 1410, the hospital was blessed under the protection of Our Lady, Saint Mary of the Innocents.1 In 1414, the Praiseworthy Brotherhood of the Virgin Mary of the Innocents was created initially with the purpose of showing compassion and charity to the insane, but they soon expanded their mission to include the downtrodden and those leading hapless, unsuitable lives in the eyes of God. In a small chapel next to the hospital was an image of the Virgin, which members of the brotherhood set out to make in statue form. According to legend, several devout pilgrims aimed to carve the statue in three days; on the third day when no news had been heard of its completion, members of the brotherhood went to check on the progress. To their astonishment, the pilgrims had vanished, and in their place was a statue, believed to have been made by angels. This miraculous image became known as Mare de Deu dels Folls, Innocents i Desamparats, Our Lady of the Lunatics, Insane and Forsaken.2
The present work adheres closely to the iconography of the Spanish source image; in Mary’s proper right hand she grasps lilies, while in her left she cradles the infant Jesus who holds a cross in his hands. Both Virgin and Christ child are outfitted in sumptuous robes ornately decorated, in rich hues of burgundy and brown, and with bejeweled crowns upon their heads, befitting of their holy majesty. In the lower register are two small children kneeling in prayer. This addition was made at the request of King Alfonso V who mandated in 1416 that “the image of Our Lady made as titular of the mentioned site should carry two innocents of those sacrificed by Herodes under the folds of the robe,”3 a reference to the Massacre of the Innocents from the Gospel of Matthew. While some invocations of the Virgin were altered in the New World context, colonial paintings of Our Lady of the Forsaken were rendered quite faithful to original image; indeed, the compositional similarities between the present lot and other paintings from centers such as Cuzco and Potosí4 suggest the circulation prints, or more likely paintings depicting the miraculous sculpture. Executed with great care, the present painting demonstrates this anonymous Andean artist’s mastery of his craft.