The present painting by Antonio de Santander (ca. 1635-1698) illustrates one of the various representations of the Virgin Mary, as Our Lady of the Rosary with the Holy Child. The remarkable proliferation of Marian images during the period from the sixteenth to the late eighteenth century such as Our Lady of the Apocalypse, Immaculate Conception and others encouraged and enabled a fervent devotion to the cult of the Holy Virgin who was both the mother of God and also His people. The painter who was born in the city of Málaga and sailed to the Viceroyalty of New Spain where he remained the rest of his life, found a home in the second most important city of the viceroyalty, Puebla de los Ángeles founded in 1531. Indeed, the city would build the Rosary Chapel (1650-1690) which at the time of its completion was hailed as a masterpiece and the so-called “eighth wonder of the world.” Puebla became a vibrant center of high culture with remarkable artisans and patrons both private and ecclesiastical that made it an important metropolis. In his newly adopted homeland, he became a member of the workshop of another Spanish-born master who had also successfully settled there, Rodrigo de la Piedra and later married his daughter Nicolasa de la Piedra with whom he had two sons, José and Antonio who followed in his artistic steps.

The tender portrayal of the Virgin Mary and Her Holy Child supported by a celestial cast of equally serene figures in attendance and conversation draws the viewer into contemplation of this sacred moment. The holy figures are represented not in Baroque splendor but in harmonious muted colors that create a heavenly space filled with light. Thus, the absence of haloes and other divine regalia enhances the humanity of the sacred figures—Mary’s motherhood and her own Holy Son’s infancy, and connects them to the faithful. An angel holds a crown of roses over Mary’s head while the Holy Child looks at His Mother and holds a rosary, another connection to the Divine.

Antonio de Santander enjoyed great patronage and acclaim throughout his life and beyond as the numerous paintings that have been found not only in his adopted home in Puebla but also in collections in Mexico City and other cities throughout Mexico including museums and religious sites, as well as in Spain. His numerous commissions during his lifetime included those from the Spanish Crown administrators such as governors and local gentry, and the various religious authorities and orders. It is through several descendants of that local nobility that this and other works have been preserved and cared for more than three hundred years.

Alejandro de Antuñano Maurer, Mexico City