The Virgin of Guadalupe
The Virgin of Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego in Mexico during the 16th century. The work appears to be a painted image of her, but in the creation story is said to have appeared on the cloak through divine intervention. The image of the Virgin of Guadalupe on the cloak is a woman, with her hands at her waist folded in prayer. She has an olive complexion with straight, dark hair and a downward gaze. She is dressed in a patterned pink dress that covers her entire body - you can only see her face, neck and hands, even her feet are covered up. At the bottom of her dress an angel holds up the bottom of her skirt. The angel is cropped and you can only see its torso. Its wings are a blue stripe, a red stripe, and a white stripe. It too wears pink, and the face of the angel appears old. The woman is wearing a blue cloak that covers her head. It has gold stars and gold trim on it. Triangular shapes that create the appearance that she is radiating surround the woman. By her feet are two horn-like shapes.
I will have a large color reproduction of this image hung at the front of the room, and I will hand out a small black and white copy of it to students. I will first ask students if they have encountered this image anywhere before. Many of them may have seen it on cars, jewelry or even as a tattoo. I will ask them if they have seen any other artwork that has qualities similar to this piece. I will ask where they think this image might normally be on display. Many of my students attend church and even if they have not seen this particular image, they should at least be able to recognize that it is a religious representation of Mary. Once students have determined that the image has religious roots, I will take the opportunity to discuss the fact that for many people this image is not a piece of artwork, but a miracle of God. I would like to stress to them that I am aware of this belief, as they should be, and that we will be looking at this image solely as a piece of artwork. We will be looking at some representations of it that could be offensive to some. I will ask them to please be respectful to the culture of others, and to also consider it in our context as an art image, instead of a religious icon. If I do encounter students for whom this is a very religious icon I will take the opportunity to have them teach the rest of the class about its importance by sharing the story of the Virgin of Guadalupe. One way or another, this will lead us into a discussion about the historical era in which the Virgin Mary was said to appear before Juan Diego in 16th century Mexico.
I will read The Lady of Guadalupe by Tomie de Paulo to students, keeping our reproduction of the original on display as I read. I will show students the illustrations as I read. De Paulo's book tells the story with a very Spanish slant, but it provides the students with the basic information of the story. The information here paraphrases the story and provides some extra background information about the history of the myth. The story is about an Indian man named Juan Diego who lived in Tepeyac near modern-day Mexico City. He was walking one day in 1531 to run errands and on his way a beautiful apparition of the Virgin Mary appeared to him. She asked him to go to the Bishop and request that a temple be built in that very spot in her honor. So Juan Diego went before Father Juan de Zumarraga, the Bishop in Mexico. He waited a long time to be seen, and finally relayed his story to the Bishop. The Bishop did not believe him and sent him away. Juan Diego returned to the spot he had seen the apparition and again she was there waiting for him. He explained that the Bishop had not believed him. The Virgin told him not to be discouraged, and told him to return to the Bishop and ask again. So Juan Diego went back to the Bishop and made his request a second time. The Bishop again did not believe him and asked for proof. The Bishop also had some of his servants follow Juan Diego to see if he was lying. The servants were unable to keep up with Juan Diego. Juan Diego again saw the Virgin and explained to her that the Bishop requested some sort of proof. So the Virgin told Juan Diego to go to the top of the hill. On top of the hill Juan Diego found roses de Castilla blooming, completely out of season. He picked many of them, collected them in his cloak, and then went back to see the Bishop. The servants ignored him and did not want to let him see the Bishop because they did not want to be blamed for doing a bad job and loosing track of him. However, his persistence earned him an audience with the Bishop. When Juan Diego went in front of the Bishop and pulled out the flowers, an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared on his cloak. The Bishop was convinced that a miracle had occurred and agreed to erect a temple in the spot requested. The cloak is still housed in that temple in Guadalupe, with the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe on it. The original myth of the Virgin of Guadalupe was recorded by Antonio Valeriano in 1648, over one hundred years after Juan Diego claimed to see the Virgin. (http://www.sancta.org/nican.html)
My students' first task in this unit will be to describe this image, the first step in what is called Feldman's method. When I teach students how to analyze artwork I use Feldman's method as a framework for our discussions. It is a process that entails four steps: describing, analyzing interpreting and deciding. When students are first presented with this model they are eager to interpret the artwork first and foremost. I encourage them to record these initial feelings towards the artwork they are viewing, however I also model for them a new more in depth way of viewing a piece of artwork. First, I ask students to describe the artwork. In order to try to teach the students not to interpret I encourage them to describe only things that are obvious in the artwork. I stress this by having them only list objects, if they cannot recognize and objects, then they should begin to describe shapes and colors instead of assuming what subject they artist was trying to express. For example, in the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe a student might say, "She is squishing an angel," as a part of his or her description. I would explain to the student that s/he is assuming the Virgin is squishing the angel, and should say instead, "There is an angel below the Virgin with his arms raised." This offers a more accurate description and does not begin to interpret the work. I often start the discussion using this question: If you wanted your friend to go to the art museum and find this specific piece of artwork, how would you describe it for him/her? Initially, we complete this process as a class. I am at the front of the class recording all of the students' suggestions on the white board, or sometimes I will choose a student recorder. If students do not compile a detailed enough description I will read them the description they have recorded so far, and explain to them another piece of artwork that could fit that description. This prompts them to continue describing. If a work is very large and detailed I may also break it down into four quarters, which we will discuss one at a time, so that the students have a more specific area to focus on to be sure they create a complete description. It is important for students to create a detailed description because they pick up on details that they might have missed upon first glance. The first few times we participate in this analysis it is difficult for students to refrain from interpreting the artwork, but as I model the process and they become familiar with it they become very adept at describing the artwork.
Next, students analyze the artwork using the elements and principles of design. Students discuss composition, use of color, and which particular techniques the artist has used in the artwork. Because students come to me with a very limited vocabulary, they become exponentially better at this process as the class continues, because they begin to learn more about the elements and principles of design. They have a better understanding of identifying and applying these principles. For this unit, however, I would have students skip the analysis portion in order to focus on using supporting evidence and placing the work context.
The third step asks students to interpret the artwork. After describing the artwork in detail they have a full arsenal of details to use to formulate an interpretation. I will ask students to hypothesize what the artist was thinking about when s/he created the piece of art, and why they think this - this is where supporting evidence becomes important. The first few times we use Feldman's method we do it out loud as a class so that students gain an understanding of how the process works. I will have students look at their black and white copy of the image and prompt them to highlight or circle symbols in the artwork that tell them something about the Virgin of Guadalupe. This way they can easily reference the supporting evidence in the artwork. I will ask students to list ten different things they can interpret about this woman from the symbols they have highlighted. For instance, a student might circle the glowing mandala shape behind her and say that she has super-powers because she appears to be radiating light. This is a perfectly acceptable answer because the student has used evidence from the image to explain why s/he feels the Virgin has super-powers. Once students have completed their own individual lists of ten traits about this woman, students will be given a chance to share their interpretations. I will record their answers on the board using a two-column grid. One column will have the heading "Interpretation," the second column will have the heading "Evidence." It is important for students to understand that as long as they can support their claim using evidence, there are no incorrect interpretations. I may briefly introduce the concept of context here by asking how listening to the myth first helped the students to determine traits of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
Once students have created a class interpretation we will begin to brainstorm questions that students have about this image, in order to make a more informed interpretation. I hope that they will begin to ask what certain symbols mean, or perhaps why the angel on the bottom looks so old, what the shape around the virgin comes from, and so forth.
I will give students a little bit of information about the symbols in the Virgin of Guadalupe. The imagery of the Virgin is most likely taken from the Bible, Revelations 12:1 "A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars." (Peterson 40) In Catholic tradition Mary is often symbolized by the moon because "she, like the moon, does not generate any light on her own, but instead reflects the light of the sun, Christ" (Keller 82). It is also possible that the image of the moon in the Guadalupe painting reflected Mexican indigenous traditions. In the Aztec culture the moon also provides protection to those out at night by providing light to those in the darkness. (Keller 82) Also in Aztec tradition the sun god is the most important and the Virgin is now standing in front of the sun. The angel is often present as a helper to the Virgin, lending support. This is the first time that the Virgin has appeared in indigenous form, and the sash she is wearing represents the fact that she is pregnant. This portrayal of the Virgin is also in keeping with the other religious iconography of the time.
The last step of Feldman's method is for students to decide whether or not they like the piece of artwork and to defend their decision. Again, I will skip this step during this particular unit.
Next, I will show students three different appropriations of the original Virgin of Guadalupe. Appropriation is the act of taking ownership of someone else's work, and it is an extremely important topic for me to introduce to my students. In visual art specifically it refers to using an image of someone else's in one's own artwork - sometimes altering the original artwork, or sometimes just reclaiming it as one's own for the sake of art. This concept can be difficult for students to grasp. I will use this opportunity to explain briefly the ethics surrounding copying the work of others, since many of my students see nothing wrong with copying cartoon characters and other drawings that appeal to them. While copying drawings of others is a good learning tool to practice different techniques, it is unlawful to copy someone else's artwork entirely. I will explain that copying artwork is in fact only legal if you are creating a parody of the original, or if you alter the work enough that it becomes a new piece of artwork. I will share with my students that there have been many lawsuits against artists for appropriating images. Some famous examples of image appropriation include Andy Warhol's Campbell Soup or Marilyn Monroe, Roy Lichtenstein's Look Mickey. Sherrie Levine is another artist who appropriates images, almost exactly, for the sake of questioning the nature of original art. Showing students a few of these examples, of the appropriation of icons that are familiar to them, will help them understand the concept of appropriation. I will show them many more at the end of this unit.
Students will now be broken into three groups (possibly more if necessary) to compare the original image of the Virgin of Guadalupe to a more recent piece of artwork where her image has been appropriated. Students will need to determine similarities between the two images - what elements stay the same? They will also need to determine the differences between the two pieces. Before students begin their comparisons I would like to review with them the fact that this image is revered in many cultures, and we are looking at it as an image, not as a divine act of God. I will also need to preface their comparisons with a warning about nudity in artwork. Alma López's appropriation depicts the artist scantily clad, and a friend of hers is shown naked from the waist up. I will lead students in a discussion about the use of the nude figure in artwork, explaining that the nude figure has been represented in art since the beginning of time, usually representing beauty. I will stress that the artist places the naked figure in the artwork for a purpose. It is not included simply for shock value, but plays an important role in the symbolism of pieces we will be looking at. I will ask students to be respectful, and if they cannot they will be asked to do the assignment individually using one of the images which does not contain nudity. Usually my students are very respectful of artwork containing nudity - they are curious about it, and because of this curiosity are very respectfully receptive to it.
We will also need to discuss symbolism. Artists use symbols all the time - they use one thing to represent something else. Students will need to decode the symbols in these pieces in order to determine who the Virgin of Guadalupe is, and what characteristics she possesses. I often give students simple, concrete examples such as - How could you represent intelligence? They usually answer things such as: a book, a diploma, a brain, a graduation cap and gown, etc. Next I will ask them for symbols for a more abstract characteristic, such as joyful. Students have a more difficult time representing abstract concepts, so we discuss how you might use something like a huge smile, or colors that bring joyful feelings, etc. They will need to be looking for symbols in the appropriated images of the Virgin.
Below I have described each of the different appropriations of the Virgin of Guadalupe. I have also included some interpretations of each of these works of art in order to provide some insight into the artist's intent. Much of this information about how the icon of the Virgin of Guadalupe has been appropriated for teacher use; I would not provide the students with this information, but I would offer it if specific questions arose about the icon.
The Virgin of Guadalupe started out as a religious icon to the indigenous people of Mexico, but the Spanish could also easily identify with her because they, too, had a Virgin of Guadalupe in Spain, though she looked very different with black skin, holding the baby Jesus. "The Mexican Virgin of Guadalupe was one such fusion of an imported European Mother of God with native mother goddess" (Peterson 40). The Catholic version of the virgin represents fertility, and power over both disease and natural disasters. (Peterson 40) She also represents piety and purity. The Virgin of Guadalupe gained popularity in both European and Mexican circles. In European circles artwork and statues were constructed depicting the virgin helping the white man. (Peterson 40) In 1648 the first account of the story of the apparition was published, and her popularity among Mexicans grew because her native tongue was Aztec. (Peterson 42) Because the Virgin of Guadalupe "spontaneously welded together all of the strata of New Spain . . . [she] served as a symbol of freedom for the native populations" (Peterson 39). Then in 1660 she was named the patron saint, or defender of Mexico. The meaning of the icon changed and she began to represent liberation and control. Her image was used during the Mexican Revolution to rally for freedom, and then her image was used again in farm workers' strikes in the United States beginning in the 1960s. (Anzaldúa 51) "The separation of church and state marked an end to her role as an institutional insignia and she passed into the realm of popular culture," according to one scholar (Peterson 46). Today, as an icon, the Virgin of Guadalupe symbolizes dichotomies: conqueror/conquered and Spanish/Indian. For many she is a symbol of hope and survival. (Anzaldúa 52)
Each group of students will receive one of the following images to compare with the original: Esther Hernández's The Virgin of Guadalupe Fighting for the Rights of Chicanos (1975), Yolanda López's Self Portrait as the Virgin of Guadalupe (1978), and Alma López's Our Lady (1999).
Esther Hernández
Esther Hernández's representation of the Virgin of Guadalupe is not a self-portrait. Her virgin is in a karate uniform kicking an invisible enemy. She is wearing a traditional white karate uniform - pants and a long sleeved shirt with a black belt at the waist. A cloak, with stars all over it, covers the top of her head but does not constrict her movement. She is surrounded by a white shape with points radiating off of it; however, she breaks the composition of the frame created by it. She is standing on a half circle, which is being held up by an angel. The angel has outstretched arms and a very angry expression. This artwork is a block print, and therefore has flat black shapes and relies on negative space to create the image.
Esther Hernández was born in 1944 in California. Much of her work focuses on the migrant culture in California. She often creates prints because it is a quick, inexpensive way to reach as many people as possible with her images. (www.testlae.greenwood.com) Hernández's Virgin is very aggressive, opposing the stature of the original Virgin of Guadalupe. This image could be a literal translation of the Virgin as the defender of Mexico. It may also be symbolizing the strength that the Virgin of Guadalupe provides the people. "Hernández subverts, recontextualizes, and thus transforms culturally traditional images into a series of feminist icons" (Mesa-Bains 136). Ester Hernández states, "As a Chicana artist, I believe it is important to produce and disseminate positive images of our varied lives: my work counteracts the stereotypes of Latina women as either passive victims or demonized creatures." In this piece of artwork Hernández symbolizes this aesthetically by the Virgin breaking out of the frame created by the mandala, showing female power and strength.
Yolanda López
Yolanda López's representation of the Virgin of Guadalupe is a self-portrait. She is running, with a cloak in one hand and a snake in the other. She is holding the snake by the neck and the expression on her face is one of joy and triumph. She is wearing a pink dress which is short sleeved, has a black belt at the waist, and the skirt of the dress comes up exposing her thigh. She is holding onto the cloak in one hand, but it appears more like a cape and does not cover her head. She is stepping on the back of an angel with blue, white and red striped wings who is lying face down. Yellow lines radiate from behind her, giving her the appearance that she is glowing. The drawing is done using oil pastels and in some place the texture and line quality is apparent.
Yolanda López was born in 1942 and her work focuses on women, Mexican culture and honoring the working class. (www.testlae.greenwood.com) This self-portrait is actually the third in a triptych of women taking the role of the Virgin of Guadalupe. The first image is of López's grandmother holding a snake seated on the mantle of blue with gold stars. The second is of her mother behind a sewing machine, sewing the mantle. All of these women are depicted as hard working and strong. She is paying homage to these working women by creating a new icon as a model Chicana. In the self-portrait the Virgin has obviously removed the mantle, holding it in her hand. She is barely covered by her dress, showing her skin. She is running, no long passive and is actively stepping on the angel who is helping the original Virgin of Guadalupe. " This repositioning becomes both satire and provocation, while retaining the transfigurative liberation of the icon" (Mesa-Bains 137). She is holding a snake, which represents indigenous religion, and the power of divine knowledge. (Arrizon 39) The work also shows the influence the icon has on these women and how they definite themselves based on her image. "It attests to the critique of traditional Mexican women's roles and religious oppression in a self-fashioning of new identities" (Mesa-Bains 137).
Alma López
Alma López's representation of the Virgin of Guadalupe is a self-portrait. She is glaring at the viewer, with her hands on her hips and her weight slightly shifted to her right. The only clothing the artist is wearing is a "bikini" of flowers, and a blue cloak with gold trim, which has a pattern of pre-Columbian art on it. She is standing on a black moon shape which is being held up by another image of a friend from the waist up, breasts exposed. This second image of herself is much smaller and has butterfly wings. She has a yellow border around her, and along the bottom half of the image surrounding her are different colored roses. Along the top half surrounding her is a red fabric with a pattern on it. This image is produced digitally by combining a variety of photographs and may employ some Photoshop filters.
Alma López uses the viceroy butterfly in her work because it mimics the monarch butterfly whose migration pattern goes from the United States to Mexico. (Alvarado 77) The flowers represent the roses that Juan Diego used to prove to the Bishop that the Virgin had in fact appeared at Tlatelolco. The pre-Columbian art represents another aspect of Mexican history from long before the Virgin of Guadalupe. Instead of an angel below her she has a friend lifting her up, a friend who has bared all to her. Perhaps this figure is representative of a true friend who will be there to help, uncovered by anything. López says, "It's not about knocking La Virgen's image as a mother but about showing alternative identities that illustrate more the lived realities of Chicanas." (Warren) The image is a self-portrait and portrays her reaction to dealing with this icon as a model of a woman throughout her life. It is also important to know that Alma López is a lesbian, so her symbolism of the Virgin of Guadalupe as a representation of all women also has roots in representing lesbians. This may change the feminist slant of her artwork slightly.
I would like each group to give a presentation of their comparison to the rest of the class. This will either be done through a poster board presentation, or through a PowerPoint presentation. I would like each group to highlight the similarities and differences between their two images. I would also like them to include their description of the original Virgin of Guadalupe, and then create a description for the appropriation of the Virgin of Guadalupe. I would like them to use a similar method for each - listing traits they think this woman would have based on supporting symbols from the image. I would like them to hypothesize how they think the representation of the virgin has changed, and why it might have changed. How has the icon changed over time? How has each artist changed different thing about her? What have all three artists changed?
The Virgin of Guadalupe is an icon. It is important for students to understand that in order for them to understand why an artist might want to redefine an icon. I will ask students what they think an icon is, and how does an icon come to be? I will also ask them to brainstorm current icons. We will discuss why artists might redefine or appropriate an icon in order to redefine what it represents, just as these artists have with the Virgin of Guadalupe.
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