Unknown. <em>Virgin of Quito</em>, second half 18th century. Polychromed wood and silver, 25 1/2 x 13 x 6 3/4in. (64.8 x 33 x 17.1cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mrs. Giles Whiting, 58.37. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 58.37_SL1.jpg)

Unknown. Virgin of Quito, second half 18th century. Polychromed wood and silver, 25 1/2 x 13 x 6 3/4in. (64.8 x 33 x 17.1cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mrs. Giles Whiting, 58.37. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 58.37_SL1.jpg)

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Download our app and ask your own questions during your visit. Here are some that others have asked.

Why is Mary often depicted in blue?

Mary is often depicted with a blue mantle because blue was associated with the sky and Mary was being portrayed as the Queen in Heaven. Additionally, blue pigments were very expensive and were often reserved for the holiest figures in a given scene.

Religious iconography had to be consistent so that illiterate worshipers could identify key figures. The blue mantle is also a useful visual device used throughout the history of Christianity!

Thanks!

Did both purple and blue signify royalty?

If only the wealthy could afford a certain pigment, it became associated with those in power. Purple pigment has also at various points in history been difficult to obtain.

The popularity of a particular color depended on location and time period, since trade and development of new pigments play a key role in what is expensive! Blue was associated with royalty when pigment was only being made from lapis lazuli, a difficult to obtain stone. When synthetic blue pigment became available in Europe, it was no longer associated with wealth and royalty, as it was much easier to come by!

Woah, that's crazy. Thanks for sharing all your wisdom.

This is a unique version of the Virgin.

This way of portraying the Virgin, stepping on a serpent, was popular in South America in the 18th century which is why it has become known as the Virgin of Quito, the capital of Ecuador.

The serpent represents sin and by stepping on the beast, Mary symbolically triumphs over evil and sin.

What's the significance of the serpent/dragon in this piece? How's it related to the Virgin?

Here, as in a lot of Catholic art, the dragon is a representative of evil and sin and by stepping on it The Virgin is symbolically triumphing over sin. This style of sculpture, the Virgin of Quito, was popular in South America in the 18th century.

Thanks!

What is the story of the Virgin of Quito?

The "Virgin of Quito" always included a dragon or serpent. The animal served as a symbol of Satan and, by stepping on it, Mary symbolically triumphs of sin. It was a popular way of representing the Madonna in Latin America in the 18th century.

Tell me more.

This "Virgin of Quito" is also known as the Virgin of Immaculate Conception. She is a version of the Virgin Mary who was popular in Ecuador in the 18th century. The dragon under her feat is a symbol of sin and Satan which she tramples in triumph.

You can see that, like many other versions of Mary, she wears a blue mantle. The blue mantle has been a popular detail in depicting Mary throughout art history. The blue in this case references the blue sky, or heaven, and the aura of the holy spirit.

Why is the Virgin of Quito in Infinite Blue?

She is included in this exhibition as one of several examples of the Virgin wearing a blue mantle, a key characteristic in European and European-influenced Christian art.

Is this the Virgin Mary?

Yes! This sculpture is an allegory of the Virgin's triumph over sin. You can see that she tramples a serpent or dragon underfoot here.

Above, she puts her hands to her breast, a standard gesture that echoes depictions of the Immaculate Conception, further emphasizing her purity.

Thank you!

You're welcome! It's interesting to compare this very lively image of the Virgin from South America with its more restrained European antecedents.

Are angels and phoenixes somehow related or do they have similar concepts?

Angels and phoenixes represent different things. Angels and phoenixes represent different things. The phoenix in the Chinese tradition is a luck mythical bird that bring good fortune and wealth.

The Biblical angels, as a concept, come from a Near Eastern tradition of messengers from God/the gods. The most common imagery of angels today (winged humans), is based in Classical Greek art, especially related to the goddess Nike of victory.

Thanks! The last question came from another museum visitor I just met!!

You're both welcome!

What do the wings represent?

The wings are specific to the Virgin of Quito who is often depicted as a combination of the Apocalyptic Woman and the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception.

In the story of the Apocalyptic Woman in the Book of Revelations, after giving birth, the woman is attacked by Satan in the form of a serpent and God gives her wings to help her escape!

Quito as in the city in Ecuador?

Correct, as in the capital of Ecuador. This version of Mary was very popular there and more broadly in South America in the 18th century.

Virgin of Quito

Unknown

European Art

On View: Luce Visible Storage and Study Center, 5th Floor

ARTIST Unknown

MEDIUM Polychromed wood and silver

Place Made: Quito, Ecuador

DATES second half 18th century

DIMENSIONS 25 1/2 x 13 x 6 3/4in. (64.8 x 33 x 17.1cm) (show scale)

COLLECTIONS European Art

ACCESSION NUMBER 58.37

CREDIT LINE Gift of Mrs. Giles Whiting

EXHIBITIONS

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is on view in Luce Visible Storage and Study Center, 5th Floor

CAPTION Unknown. Virgin of Quito, second half 18th century. Polychromed wood and silver, 25 1/2 x 13 x 6 3/4in. (64.8 x 33 x 17.1cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mrs. Giles Whiting, 58.37. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 58.37_SL1.jpg)

IMAGE overall, 58.37_SL1.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph

"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.

RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY

You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.

RECORD COMPLETENESS

Not every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.

Download our app and ask your own questions during your visit. Here are some that others have asked.

Why is Mary often depicted in blue?

Religious iconography had to be consistent so that illiterate worshipers could identify key figures. The blue mantle is also a useful visual device used throughout the history of Christianity!

Thanks!

Did both purple and blue signify royalty?

If only the wealthy could afford a certain pigment, it became associated with those in power. Purple pigment has also at various points in history been difficult to obtain.

Woah, that's crazy. Thanks for sharing all your wisdom.

This is a unique version of the Virgin.

This way of portraying the Virgin, stepping on a serpent, was popular in South America in the 18th century which is why it has become known as the Virgin of Quito, the capital of Ecuador.

The serpent represents sin and by stepping on the beast, Mary symbolically triumphs over evil and sin.

What's the significance of the serpent/dragon in this piece? How's it related to the Virgin?

Thanks!

What is the story of the Virgin of Quito?

Tell me more.

Why is the Virgin of Quito in Infinite Blue?

She is included in this exhibition as one of several examples of the Virgin wearing a blue mantle, a key characteristic in European and European-influenced Christian art.

Is this the Virgin Mary?

Yes! This sculpture is an allegory of the Virgin's triumph over sin. You can see that she tramples a serpent or dragon underfoot here.

Above, she puts her hands to her breast, a standard gesture that echoes depictions of the Immaculate Conception, further emphasizing her purity.

Thank you!

You're welcome! It's interesting to compare this very lively image of the Virgin from South America with its more restrained European antecedents.

Are angels and phoenixes somehow related or do they have similar concepts?

Angels and phoenixes represent different things. Angels and phoenixes represent different things. The phoenix in the Chinese tradition is a luck mythical bird that bring good fortune and wealth.

Thanks! The last question came from another museum visitor I just met!!

You're both welcome!

What do the wings represent?

The wings are specific to the Virgin of Quito who is often depicted as a combination of the Apocalyptic Woman and the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception.

In the story of the Apocalyptic Woman in the Book of Revelations, after giving birth, the woman is attacked by Satan in the form of a serpent and God gives her wings to help her escape!

Quito as in the city in Ecuador?

Correct, as in the capital of Ecuador. This version of Mary was very popular there and more broadly in South America in the 18th century.