The piece of art I chose is La Virgen De Guadalupe. I chose this piece of art because when I see her it honestly took my breath way. I am a believer in the Catholic faith and do go to church on a regular basics, so for me seeing that picture it just kind of touched me in a way I didn’t expect it too. Like that art work actually talked to me. It was actually a gift to my grandmother one of her students had gave it to her when they came back from Mexico. I had actually found it in a room that I moved my things in when moving back home from Texas. Honestly to me that piece of art, the Saint “Queen of Mexico” spoke to me and told me ‘coming home for a little bit was a good decision, and no matter what I decide to do I have complete faith in you.’ I was thinking about that art and looking at it got me thinking to trust her because she has faith in me like I have faith in her. I think it was just a sign in my own eyes. Many people are not Catholic or religious, but to the people that are Catholic I think they know the point of view that I am coming from because she is a very strong and powerful Saint in the Catholic Church.
I really loved this art piece because it isn’t like any normal type of piece I’ve never seen something like this before. It looks as if it was made from some type of marble or stone, absolutely no paint in the art work. There is also some gold trimming in the art. As if there is actual gold power to give the details and outline the art more of a bright light like there is a sun in the background to make it brighter.
I can’t really give too much information on exactly where the art work came from nor exactly who had made it. But I can tell you a little bit about La Virgen De Guadalupe. She is from Mexico City, Mexico. Around the 1600 she had met a man named Juan Diego and told him that “a church should be built in her honor at the top of Tepeyac hill, where there had once been an Aztec Temple to the goddess Tonantzin.” “But when Juan Diego related this to the Spanish archbishop, Juan se Zumárraga, the cleric didn’t believe him and told Juan Diego to go back to Tepeyac and ask the Virgin for a miracle so that she might prove that what she said was true. The Virgin told Juan Diego to gather Castilian roses at the top of the hill. The Virgin helped arrange the flowers in Juan Diego’s tilmátli (a type of cloak), and he carried them back to Mexico City.” The link that I am sharing with you guys you can read a little bit more about her and how it she became a Saint and about how the Catholics think so highly of her. This link that I am providing for you guys tells you the actual meaning of and significant of the color of the art work.
After researching more about Lady Guadalupe she became more than just interesting to me she became something higher for me to pray too and having more faith in my religion. Especially, because I felt a connection with the art and how it came about to me there is just something more to me then a piece of art.
- Has there ever been something that was more than just “art” to you and made you become a higher believer in what you already believed in?
- Do you believe that even though we may not know the artist we can figure it out?
- What time period do you think this was made or even how did they even make this piece of art?
Claudia Portillo-Olivas
Seeing Art 
This is a very beautiful piece Claudia! I am familiar with this painting and have seen it before but never really looked at it in depth. How you are effected by this reminds me of how I reflect on the pieces I love. They involve me emotionally and I do feel like I can meditate on them and think about the things going on in my life. By examining the time period we can figure that this was a very important part of history in many peoples lives. I would say this looks like a very early piece from the 1500’s.
An inspiring piece of art work. It is interesting how this piece of art affects you in a very special way. I have a lot of drawings that I drew when I was a very young kid and though they are not that great, they are very special to me. They are something very special to me kind of how this piece of art is special to you, because my drawings take me back to when I was a kid and they remind me of great memories. As far as finding the original artist of the piece, I think a way of find out is to simply trace it back, starting from the student that gave the piece to your grandmother. Since the student brought it from Mexico, I would inference that the artist might actually be from Mexico.
This piece is a very nice choice of artwork. It gives off a peacefulness and serenity. I enjoyed how you spoke up about not only being a piece of art, but how it has a personal influence in your life. I enjoy the colors of the painting. It has a richness to it. I also wonder the history of the painting. It would be a beautiful painting to past down in your family. I agree with the other poster that it might have originated from Mexico. It might be good to take it to a professional to help you have an idea of its history. It is worth researching.
My sister studies medieval saints so I’ve seen a lot of images similar to this and I love how they all have the same format and gaze and seem to emit calmness. I can’t wait to see it in person–the surface looks really cool!
When I first saw this picture I thought it was the Virgin Mary that gave birth to Jesus. I like how the artist used a lot of gold coloring to give the picture a holy feel. I have never heard of La Virgen De Guadalupe, the “Queen of Mexico,” so learning about her story was very interesting. I believe that art can be interpreted in an unlimited number of ways so we may come close but will never understand what the artist was trying to convey 100% unless you personally speak to the artist. Overall this is a beautiful painting that looks like it could be an antique but also modern because I don’t get a nostalgic vibe while looking at it.
I love this piece. The colors and style remind me of archaic-like painting. As a Catholic Mexican, I’ve learned and read about the conversion tale of Juan Diego. I actually saw the tilma in the Basilica in Mexico City when I went down there about 7 years ago. I remember how awe struck the people visiting this piece of history were. Many people go in line to see and venerate Our Lady. It goes to show how art can completely change the views of people and can have a lasting element on the people viewing it.
What a beautiful blog entry. I love how this piece spoke to you. I think your description of how this piece affected you epitomizes art and the need we have for it in our lives. Religious or not, we are all moved by something someone has created or by their talent in creating it. I’m mesmerized by how calm and serene her face is depicted in contrast to how ornate the rest of the picture is. She almost reminds me of The Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. The piece is fascinating considering it isn’t painted but possibly made out of stone. Maybe that’s how you can find the artist by looking up the style; maybe he or she is known for it.
The first time I heard about “La Virgin De Guadelupe” was from my friend Jose, who testified that La Virgin De Guadelupe appeared in his dream and advised him to be medically checked. A few weeks later Jose was diagnosed with cancer. Thankfully he was diagnosed at early stage and managed to be treated successfully. This story opened my eyes to a more spiritual life, and I became a greater believer in what I already believed in. I also agree that the gold details enhance and glorify the character. Looking at the piece gives me feeling of peace and comfort. From now on I will look at pieces of art in a new way, and not overlook them.
Being Mexican myself I have always seen this image around my home and at my grandma’s home. I never really knew/understood the history or background behind it though! You are right about her being a strong and powerful Saint in the Catholic Church, on my recent trip to Mexico I was lucky enough to visit La Catedral in Mexico City and after my trip there I understood better about why she is important to the Catholic Church.
Answering your question has there ever been a piece of art that meant anything significant to you my answer is yes. I saw a picture of Michael Jordan and it was a collage of his life and what it took for him to become an allstar and it showed the motivation and dedication and so much he sacrafised to get to the place he is today. That piece really made me realize that in order for me to achieve greatness its A not going to come easy and B its possible as long as I believe I can achieve it.
The image is really pretty, the way they mix gold lining with the picture in a hard surface is very interesting is unique. I have travel to Latin American countries before and I have seen this type of art before It seems like something unique to the region, very pretty. To Catholic people is more than just a piece of art because it combines the beauty of art in the image and also the religious beliefs and cultural background of the people who believe in her making the image bigger than life.
I was very fascinated with the additional information that you presented in class about this piece. After reading your story and how you believe in the picture after you moved back was very inspiring. There were other students that made touching stories about La Virgen De Guadalupe and it was great to see she has affected more than one person in class because I can only imagine how many others in the world she has inspired. I really like this picture because of the true meaning behind her and the fact that it opened up your view to another level. After seeing the picture in class, it was nice to understand the part about the gold specks. The feeling of the picture was a lot different then I imagined. It almost felt like a tile or something that could be a part of the wall. Thank you for sharing your story!