Week 2: The Virgin of Guadalupe

            My exposure to The Virgin of Guadalupe was limited growing up. I only saw the large 24x36 painting of her in the shrines that were located in the halls of my grandmas and aunt houses during family parties and dinners. The painting sat on top of a small table so that, if needed, the painting could be easily move from the hall to a bedroom if an impromptu prayer felt needed to be done.

My grandma was known for her impromptu prayers. Leaving parties and dinners for a quick prayer in the bedroom. I recall a memory from my teenage years eating at my grandma’s dinner table, when suddenly my cousin asks, “Where is grandma?” I remember answering the question in joking manner, “she’s probably in the room praying.” Laughter filled the room. But what made it funny was there was some truth to it.

My mother, a second generation Mexican-American in United States, embraced the American culture completely, leaving almost all-Mexican tradition behind including most Catholic traditions too.  Not to say that she was not religious, but she felt that religion was between god and oneself and going to church and following the many catholic tradition were not necessary. Thus, I never really knew or questioned who the lady was in the painting and her back-story. All I really knew about the Virgin of Guadalupe was that my grandma and my aunt prayed to her.

My first reaction seeing the feminist interpretation of the Virgin of Guadalupe was quite shocking. I don’t really go to church and follow many of the catholic traditions, but I still consider my self a very religious person and to see paintings of different artist interpretation of what the Virgin of Guadalupe could be instead of what see is to many people (a religious icon) was shocking.

However, my first reaction slowly went away and began to place myself in the shoes of the artist. As a woman, looking for inspiration from the virgin of Guadalupe, I suppose one can’t truly be inspired unless you understand the women in the painting. So, these painting provide a story about the women, a story that many woman could relate to and find inspiration from them.