Exquisite Portrait of The Virgin of Copacabana
Cuzco School, Peru/Bolivia Border
Width 31 1/2" Height 39" including period frame
Oil and gilt on canvas
17th century
Provenance: Jim Jeter, Santa Barbara, CA
Simpson Galleries, Houston, TX
This exquisite Spanish Colonial painting belongs to the genre of “statue paintings” that developed in the Andean regions of Peruand Bolivia, particularly within the great Incan city of Cuzco, in the 17th century. Created by a highly skilled group of indigenous artists collectively referred to as the Cuzco School, these statue paintings sought to replicate the three-dimensional devotionalsculptures of the Virgin Mary with Christ child and other miracle-working sculptures that were displayed on altars withinchapels and important religious shrines. These remarkable paintings were created so that worshippers could effectivelypray to the statue from a distance. The paintings were regarded as sacred in their own right and were believed to also possess the power to produce miracles.
The indigenous artists who founded the Cuzco School withdrew from the Spanish-dominated painters guild in 1688 and developed their own distinct pictorial style. Liberated from the strict dictates of the Spanish guild’s Europeanizing styles, the indigenous Cuzco School developed a unique artistic signature characterized by a colorful palette, flattened forms, indigenous symbolism, and a profusion of brocateado – a technique of applying gold leaf ornamentation to the surface of the canvas, providing a unique shimmer and texture to the painting.
The original statue of the Virgin and child that is represented in this painting was carved by the devout indigenous sculptor Francisco Tito Yupanquiin in 1576 and was placed inside a small adobe shrine located in the small town of Copacabana,situated on the southeastern shore of Lake Titicaca on the border of Bolivia and Peru. Devotion to this “Virgin of Copacabana”grew rapidly due to the miracles credited to her, and pilgrimages were made to her shrine by those seeking her holy assistance. Later in 1614, the Augustinians built a permanent chapel to house the revered statue. Wealthy and important individuals soon commissioned paintings of this renowned Virgin of Copacabana for display in their private chapels, a history likely shared by the painting presented here.
In this painting the richly dressed and bejeweled Virgin is portrayed atop her altar in the rigid frontal pose characteristic of Cuzco School statue paintings. Her lavish dress is adorned with faceted and cabochon deep green emeralds, red rubies, lime peridots, teal aquamarines, and yellow citrines laid within geometric rows of glistening pearls that frame a large orb and cross. She wears a burgundy veil and is crowned as the Queen of Heaven. At her feet are portrayed three angels framed by a crescent moon that together symbolize the miracle of the immaculate conception. The crowned Christ child is depicted holding an orb and is equally lavishly dressed in a gown highlighted in shimmering gold leaf. Four angelic figures areportrayed spreading a flower garland before the parted redcurtains of a baldachin canopy.
Although the painters name is unknown, he was clearly one of the many indigenous masters of the Cuzco School who received private and public commissions starting in the 17th century. TheVirgin was one of the most revered images of the Cuzco School as she was strongly associated the Inca goddess Pachamama, the Earth Mother, who was still worshipped by the indigenous Andeans. This goddess was associated with the harvest and all gifts given by the earth; she embodied the form and spirit of the mountains and was thought to cause earthquakes. In this painting, the expansive triangular form of the Virgin’s dress isdepicted as a stylized mountain peak in reverence to the Earth Mother. Embroidered near the lower hem of the dress are a pair of fish that symbolizes both Jesus Christ and his followers as well as the biblical reference to god’s abundance. The Christian symbol of the fish was of special significance to the indigenous followers as it dually represented the bounty of fish from Lake Titicaca granted by Pachamama.
Condition: Laid to old canvas with a period gilded frame. The surface of the painting is original and has never been restored and with aged, darkened patina and craquelure. Overall in very good condition.
Cuzco School, Peru/Bolivia Border
Width 31 1/2" Height 39" including period frame
Oil and gilt on canvas
17th century
Provenance: Jim Jeter, Santa Barbara, CA
Simpson Galleries, Houston, TX
This exquisite Spanish Colonial painting belongs to the genre of “statue paintings” that developed in the Andean regions of Peruand Bolivia, particularly within the great Incan city of Cuzco, in the 17th century. Created by a highly skilled group of indigenous artists collectively referred to as the Cuzco School, these statue paintings sought to replicate the three-dimensional devotionalsculptures of the Virgin Mary with Christ child and other miracle-working sculptures that were displayed on altars withinchapels and important religious shrines. These remarkable paintings were created so that worshippers could effectivelypray to the statue from a distance. The paintings were regarded as sacred in their own right and were believed to also possess the power to produce miracles.
The indigenous artists who founded the Cuzco School withdrew from the Spanish-dominated painters guild in 1688 and developed their own distinct pictorial style. Liberated from the strict dictates of the Spanish guild’s Europeanizing styles, the indigenous Cuzco School developed a unique artistic signature characterized by a colorful palette, flattened forms, indigenous symbolism, and a profusion of brocateado – a technique of applying gold leaf ornamentation to the surface of the canvas, providing a unique shimmer and texture to the painting.
The original statue of the Virgin and child that is represented in this painting was carved by the devout indigenous sculptor Francisco Tito Yupanquiin in 1576 and was placed inside a small adobe shrine located in the small town of Copacabana,situated on the southeastern shore of Lake Titicaca on the border of Bolivia and Peru. Devotion to this “Virgin of Copacabana”grew rapidly due to the miracles credited to her, and pilgrimages were made to her shrine by those seeking her holy assistance. Later in 1614, the Augustinians built a permanent chapel to house the revered statue. Wealthy and important individuals soon commissioned paintings of this renowned Virgin of Copacabana for display in their private chapels, a history likely shared by the painting presented here.
In this painting the richly dressed and bejeweled Virgin is portrayed atop her altar in the rigid frontal pose characteristic of Cuzco School statue paintings. Her lavish dress is adorned with faceted and cabochon deep green emeralds, red rubies, lime peridots, teal aquamarines, and yellow citrines laid within geometric rows of glistening pearls that frame a large orb and cross. She wears a burgundy veil and is crowned as the Queen of Heaven. At her feet are portrayed three angels framed by a crescent moon that together symbolize the miracle of the immaculate conception. The crowned Christ child is depicted holding an orb and is equally lavishly dressed in a gown highlighted in shimmering gold leaf. Four angelic figures areportrayed spreading a flower garland before the parted redcurtains of a baldachin canopy.
Although the painters name is unknown, he was clearly one of the many indigenous masters of the Cuzco School who received private and public commissions starting in the 17th century. TheVirgin was one of the most revered images of the Cuzco School as she was strongly associated the Inca goddess Pachamama, the Earth Mother, who was still worshipped by the indigenous Andeans. This goddess was associated with the harvest and all gifts given by the earth; she embodied the form and spirit of the mountains and was thought to cause earthquakes. In this painting, the expansive triangular form of the Virgin’s dress isdepicted as a stylized mountain peak in reverence to the Earth Mother. Embroidered near the lower hem of the dress are a pair of fish that symbolizes both Jesus Christ and his followers as well as the biblical reference to god’s abundance. The Christian symbol of the fish was of special significance to the indigenous followers as it dually represented the bounty of fish from Lake Titicaca granted by Pachamama.
Condition: Laid to old canvas with a period gilded frame. The surface of the painting is original and has never been restored and with aged, darkened patina and craquelure. Overall in very good condition.
Cuzco School, Peru/Bolivia Border
Width 31 1/2" Height 39" including period frame
Oil and gilt on canvas
17th century
Provenance: Jim Jeter, Santa Barbara, CA
Simpson Galleries, Houston, TX
This exquisite Spanish Colonial painting belongs to the genre of “statue paintings” that developed in the Andean regions of Peruand Bolivia, particularly within the great Incan city of Cuzco, in the 17th century. Created by a highly skilled group of indigenous artists collectively referred to as the Cuzco School, these statue paintings sought to replicate the three-dimensional devotionalsculptures of the Virgin Mary with Christ child and other miracle-working sculptures that were displayed on altars withinchapels and important religious shrines. These remarkable paintings were created so that worshippers could effectivelypray to the statue from a distance. The paintings were regarded as sacred in their own right and were believed to also possess the power to produce miracles.
The indigenous artists who founded the Cuzco School withdrew from the Spanish-dominated painters guild in 1688 and developed their own distinct pictorial style. Liberated from the strict dictates of the Spanish guild’s Europeanizing styles, the indigenous Cuzco School developed a unique artistic signature characterized by a colorful palette, flattened forms, indigenous symbolism, and a profusion of brocateado – a technique of applying gold leaf ornamentation to the surface of the canvas, providing a unique shimmer and texture to the painting.
The original statue of the Virgin and child that is represented in this painting was carved by the devout indigenous sculptor Francisco Tito Yupanquiin in 1576 and was placed inside a small adobe shrine located in the small town of Copacabana,situated on the southeastern shore of Lake Titicaca on the border of Bolivia and Peru. Devotion to this “Virgin of Copacabana”grew rapidly due to the miracles credited to her, and pilgrimages were made to her shrine by those seeking her holy assistance. Later in 1614, the Augustinians built a permanent chapel to house the revered statue. Wealthy and important individuals soon commissioned paintings of this renowned Virgin of Copacabana for display in their private chapels, a history likely shared by the painting presented here.
In this painting the richly dressed and bejeweled Virgin is portrayed atop her altar in the rigid frontal pose characteristic of Cuzco School statue paintings. Her lavish dress is adorned with faceted and cabochon deep green emeralds, red rubies, lime peridots, teal aquamarines, and yellow citrines laid within geometric rows of glistening pearls that frame a large orb and cross. She wears a burgundy veil and is crowned as the Queen of Heaven. At her feet are portrayed three angels framed by a crescent moon that together symbolize the miracle of the immaculate conception. The crowned Christ child is depicted holding an orb and is equally lavishly dressed in a gown highlighted in shimmering gold leaf. Four angelic figures areportrayed spreading a flower garland before the parted redcurtains of a baldachin canopy.
Although the painters name is unknown, he was clearly one of the many indigenous masters of the Cuzco School who received private and public commissions starting in the 17th century. TheVirgin was one of the most revered images of the Cuzco School as she was strongly associated the Inca goddess Pachamama, the Earth Mother, who was still worshipped by the indigenous Andeans. This goddess was associated with the harvest and all gifts given by the earth; she embodied the form and spirit of the mountains and was thought to cause earthquakes. In this painting, the expansive triangular form of the Virgin’s dress isdepicted as a stylized mountain peak in reverence to the Earth Mother. Embroidered near the lower hem of the dress are a pair of fish that symbolizes both Jesus Christ and his followers as well as the biblical reference to god’s abundance. The Christian symbol of the fish was of special significance to the indigenous followers as it dually represented the bounty of fish from Lake Titicaca granted by Pachamama.
Condition: Laid to old canvas with a period gilded frame. The surface of the painting is original and has never been restored and with aged, darkened patina and craquelure. Overall in very good condition.