Yolanda M. Lopez: Portrait of the Artist as the Virgin of Guadalupe

As a product of López’s Guadalupe series, she produced a piece called Portrait of the Artist as the Virgin of Guadalupe (1978). As shown in Figure 50, López’s reworked image once again depicts a strong Chicana, who breaks away from typical patriarchal views and passive female stereotypes (90). From her muscular legs to the snake gripped in her hand, this image shows a happy woman who is more than capable of taking care of herself. According to Davalos, this reworked image was López’s way of manipulating the “visual language of Catholicism to generate multiple identities for Chicanas and validate working-class women’s experiences. In doing so, she challenged traditional gender constructions, patriarchy within the Catholic Church, notions of whiteness and beauty, and capitalist alienation” (86). Through images, such as the Portrait of the Artist as the Virgin of Guadalupe, López creates role models for Chicana women that diverge from stereotypical repressive images. When looking at this image, I am able to make a connection to the original image and understand that this is a new perspective. Although I respect the cultural value of the original picture, I particularly admire this rendition because of the strength emitted by the woman. Rather than sticking to stereotypical images of passive females, I like how Lopez not only created a woman who is powerful but also happy in her own skin. I also like her subtle scoff towards patriarchy in the image through the act of the woman stepping on the man; I feel that it is extremely bold of her to make such a statement and it is that kind of boldness that allows for conversations toward change to begin.