The artist of this painting is not known, which is the case for many colonial paintings from Peru, but it can be securely attributed to one of the workshops active in the city of Cuzco. The painting depicts a statue of the Virgin that stands on the retablo behind the altar in the Parish of Our Lady of Bethlehem (Parroquia Nuestra Señora Reina de Belén) in Cuzco. Considered the patroness of the city, the Virgin of Bethlehem, often endearingly referred to as Mamacha Belén or Mother Bethlehem, is at the center of a cult of devotees, and her image is of great importance to the city’s religious life and culture. Popular accounts of miracles and divine intervention surround the Virgin of Bethlehem. The original statue, made during the 16th century, is taken out of the church and processed and venerated during Catholic ceremonies and celebrations. In the painting, the Virgin stands on a round metal platform, which refers to the one used during festival processions to carry the statue.
The Virgin of Bethlehem, like other Catholic imagery, was introduced after the Spanish conquest and exemplifies the hybrid nature and distinctive imagery of Andean Catholicism that define paintings from the Cuzco school. The Virgin’s garment is representative of 17th-century imperial fashion in Europe and symbolizes her divine status as Queen of Heaven and Mother of God, as well as combining aspects of Inca textiles, jewelry, and weavings in bright colors.
