Yesterday we added to the collection two paintings that mark
very different moments in the history of New Spanish (Mexican)
painting. The first is an imposing work by Pedro Ramírez that
portrays the Marriage of the Virgin. Ramírez is a seminal artist
from the second half of the seventeenth century who descended
from a prominent Sevillian family of sculptors and altarpiece-
makers. His bold compositions are characterized by stark
contours and firm modeling and a high degree of naturalism. This
scene is based on apocryphal accounts of the marriage of the
Virgin in the Golden Legend. While the subject was not all that
common in Europe, it became popular in New Spain, where it was
taken up by some of the best brushes of the time. Here, the
Jewish priest in the center is flanked by the holy couple. Among
the most striking details, are the priest’s hands, with every
knuckle clearly drawn. The scene is presided over by the Holy
Ghost, beautifully rendered within a circle of light, as two
majestic hands descend from t