Week 25: Jun. 23, 2024

Our Lady of the Rosary, José Manuel Benvides, Colonial New Mexican, ca. 1830-1840, polychrome wood and cloth

Warmth…

Representing the Roman Catholic church of Spain in New Spain, now New Mexico, this sculpture of the Virgin Mary caught my eye because it exudes warmth and welcome. The colors are bold and warm, her face is gentle and kind. Her arms are outreached, and are presumed to have held a rosary and the Christ child at one time.

I find it fun to photograph three dimensional art and, in particular, to pay attention to the shadows they cast. Here I thought that the shadow on the right showed her figure bending down as she might do to interact with a child.