La Virgen de la Asunción

Polychrome; glass eyes, no lashes, carved hair
38 inches tall (97 cm.)
Tlacolula, Oaxaca, Mexico

As is traditional in images of the Virgin of the Assumption, the figure stands on a horned moon and a cloud in which two angels are carved. Her hands nearly touch each other in prayer. She wears a gold robe and a patterned mantle. Despite the suggestion of weight in the robes, the hem of the cloak ripples lightly as if carried on the wind, a common feature in Assumption images of the Baroque era.

The pattern in the cloak is of delicate gold feathers on a dark blue background, balancing the gold of the robe and the red of the cincture. The long robe flows smoothly over the globe of clouds to anchor the rising figure to its support. The skin tones and the blush are striking.

Read more about images of the Assumption.

• Home Page
• Iconography of the Assumption
• This Picture

Photographed at the church by Claire and Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.