Francisco Martínez, The Annunciation

Mexican, Circa 1750
Nun's badge, watercolor on vellum on paper
Los Angeles County Museum of Art

As in the Páez version in Los Angeles, Mary kneels on a carpeted dais in front of a book on a small table, rather than at a prie-dieu. This and the angel's entry from the right are unusual for this period, so it may be that the badges reflect actual practice among the Mexican nuns.

The secondary figures are, clockwise from Mary: St. Joseph (lily stalk and Christ Child), God the Father, St. John the Baptist (lamb on book), St. Anthony of Padua (tonsure, Christ Child), St. Jerome (red cape, pen and book), St. Gertrude of Helfta (heart on chest), and St. Catherine of Alexandria (crown, wheel).

According to a label provided by the Metropolitan Museum it was customary at this time in Mexican history for nuns to wear badges like this, some of which could be very elaborate.

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Photographed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.