Virgin and Child Retablo

Virgin and Child, painted by hand in Cuzco, Peru. Mary stands crowned and radiant in a richly patterned red and gold gown, the Christ Child resting in her arm. Red curtains frame her on either side, a detail borrowed from European royal portraiture that Andean painters adopted to present the Virgin as Queen of Heaven. Her triangular, bell-shaped silhouette is one of the most recognizable forms in Cuzco school painting, where the shape carried layers of meaning for the artists who made it. The scalloped frame is solid wood, hand-carved and gilded. The little drawer at the base is meant to hold a relic, a prayer card, or a folded petition. Every piece is one-of-a-kind. The brushwork, the gold, the wear in the gilding. None of it is identical to the next. Hang her in your prayer corner, above a doorway, or beside your bed. She's small enough to belong almost anywhere and beautiful enough to anchor a wall on her own. Details Frame included: 6.5" x 8" Hand-painted by artisans in Cuzco, Peru Solid wood, hand-carved and gilded frame Functional drawer at the base for relics, prayer cards, or petitions Built to hang, fitted hook on the back One-of-a-kind, slight variations are part of the piece