PROPERTY FROM THE DON BENITO J. LEGARDA JR. COLLECTION

ABOUT THE WORK

The Rayos or rays that would have outlined the Virgin’s body have been lost, and much of the estofado work on her vestments has flaked off. But this fragmentary santo must have been very important to Don Benito for what it represented: A faithful depiction of the canonical image of the Our Lady of Guadalupe. The legend of the Virgin’s apparition is familiar to many. In 1531, the Virgin appeared to an indigenous Mexican, Juan Diego, with a request that a shrine be built on the Tepeyac hill, where she had appeared. Juan obediently went to his Bishop, who demanded a sign from the Virgin. The Virgin then sent Juan back to the Bishop, with roses gathered in his tilma or cloak. It was winter, and fresh roses were sign and miracle enough. But even more miraculous was the image of the virgin imprinted on Juan’s cloak. The very textile is now enshrined and venerated in the most popular of Mexico’s Marian shrines. Many scholars have linked aspects of the Virgin’s appearance to indigenous Aztec symbols and artistic traditions lost in the wake of Spain’s brutal colonization of Mexico. Indeed, after she was declared by no less than John Paul II as the patroness of the Americas, the Guadalupe now embodies more meaning as an icon for indigenous peoples and cultures integrated into a now, more enlightened, more politically-correct Catholic faith. The veneration of the Guadalupe in the Philippines is closely linked to that of the Immaculate Concepcion. The most famous church under her patronage is the 17th century church of Pagsanghan in Laguna. The original image of the Virgin of Guadalupe enshrined in 1688 on the main altar, was a gift from the faithful of Mexico and was, unfortunately, destroyed during WWII. The two images now enshrined in Pagsanghan are the works of two 20th century sculptors the Mexican sculptor Ramon Barreto and the Filipino, Maximo Vicente. Vicente’s work is the one enshrined in the main altar. The image from the Legarda collection is a product of the Laguna school and would surely have been copied from the original gift image installed in 1688. The rays that would have emanated from her whole body are now lost, though the pegs and attachments are still visible. The estofado on her mantle would have once been a brilliant cerulean blue emblazoned with stars. Two important sculpted iconographic symbols remain: the crescent moon at her feet, and the angel with upraised arms. It would be wonderful to see this image restored to its full glory. But even as a fragment, it is unmistakably, the very visage of the beloved Guadalupe.