La Virgen del Rosario

The Virgin Mary became a powerful female symbol during the evangelization of the native peoples throughout the Spanish held colonies. In the Viceroyalty of Peru, the image of a motherly figure holding a child held great appeal for the various Andean groups who associated her with Pachamama or Mother Earth. The Dominican friars, who were the first to organize missionary expeditions to Peru as early as the sixteenth century, advocated devotion to her cult and the rosary. Indeed, Saint Dominic, the founder of the order in 1215, is said to have received the rosary from the hands of the Virgin in a mystical encounter when she instructed him to meditate on the mysteries of the rosary and seek salvation for mankind through prayer. The word ‘rosary’ originally meant a rose garden and later referred to a garland of roses. Thus the rosary may be considered a garland of prayers to the Virgin as each bead represents a prayer.
This didactic image was a compelling icon which visually explained the Christian dogma through the representation of the Virgin as mediator between God and his people. The history of the faith and the road to redemption are illustrated through the mysteries or stories in the rosary. According to Church doctrine, each reveals five events in the life of Christ. The Joyful Mysteries foretell his birth and follow his early life; the Sorrowful, portray his Passion; and the Glorious hail his Resurrection, Ascension to Heaven followed by the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon his people with the Holy Virgin’s Assumption and her Coronation by God the Father. Executed by an unknown but highly skilled Cuzco master, the inspiring monumental composition is nevertheless a compelling portrayal of the holy persons who appear other worldly amidst the luminous rays such as the Father and Holy Spirit as they crown Mary’s towering figure. The Virgin is framed by delicate medallions bordered with ivy, a symbol of everlasting life. These describe the events in her life and that of her Divine Son; the two closest to her face are the Annunciation on the uppermost left and her Coronation on the right. The Joyful and Glorious mysteries which are on the left and right of the composition are resplendent while on the lower register, the Sorrowful Mysteries portray Christ’s Passion almost in darkness.
A popular subject in the Viceroyalty of Peru, paintings of Our Lady of the Rosary were frequently commissioned for public and private devotion in important centers such as Lima, Cuzco and La Paz. A composition similar to the present lot by the artist Antonio Vilca who was active (1769-1803) in Cuzco, is part of the collection of Banco de Crédito del Perú in Lima.
Margarita J. Aguilar, Art Historian