week 4 project 4b

1. Juan Patricio Morlete Ruiz’s Virgen de Guadalupe

2. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.the-american-interest.com/ai2/images/issues/v3/n3/VargasLlosa1-Large.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.the-american-interest.com/ai2/article.cfm%3FId%3D366%26MId%3D17&h=972&w=650&sz=244&hl=en&start=13&um=1&tbnid=kqCW7rfs0ulgSM:&tbnh=149&tbnw=100&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dlatin%2Bamerica%2Bcolonial%2Bera%2Bart%2Bimages%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX

3. I came across this piece because I had remembered such an image from the Art History course I had taken at the SRJC. It ties to our humanities research because the Virgen de Guadalupe was a very significant figure to Latin America. There is a lot of artwork done with her during the Colonial Era in Latin America.

4. Observation: In this particular piece, I see the Virgen de Guadalupe clothed in robes and adorned with a crown. I see cherubs surrounding her. There are four smaller images within the painting of different people interacting with the Virgen. It is Mexico's most beloved religious and cultural image. The Virgin of Guadalupe is a cultural symbol of significant importance to the Mexican identity. The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City is the second most visited Roman catholic shrine in the world after the Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_Guadalupe). It is a painting. The artist, Juan Patricio Morlete Ruiz used a lot of color and smooth, soft brush strokes to create a warm effect. He paid particular attention to the faces of the cherubs and the Virgen.

Interpretation: The artwork is to represent the Virgen de Guadalupe as an important religious symbol to Latin America.

Judgement: I chose this piece because I had remembered it from previous learning and it is a very beautiful painting of the Lady Guadalupe. Also I know she is a very significant figure in history. It sends a very pieceful and Holy message that the Lady Guadalupe watched over the people and protected them. I feel this because I know the religious background behind her. You can see her work in the four small paintings within the painting.

Questioning: The small scenes in the corners depict the story of Juan Diego and his interactions with the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe. I would like to know what each of the four smaller paintings mean. I believe each of them represents something in history or someone the Lady Guadalupe interacted with and I would like to know the story behind them.