Project 5B

Title: Posada Guadalupe

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Posada_guadalupe.jpg
Etching by Jose Guadalupe Posada illustrating St. Juan Diego's discovery of the Virgin of Guadalupe in his apron

I came across this piece of artwork when researching the Lady of Guadalupe and trying to figure out her meaning and specifically how she became accepted. It connects to the study of humanities because it shows the transition from pre colonial times, to colonial times, to the era of indepence, and how the people began to transform in this final stage through religion with this newfound independence.

Observation: In the artwork I see a man holding a large apron with the Lady of Guadalupe on it. To the right of the man is a mountain top, to the left a cactus and beneath are some flowers. The piece of artwork is an etching, which is basically a carving. When ink is applied and the carving is placed on paper, the artwork is visible.

Interpretation: The artwork represents St. Juan Diego's discovery of the Virgin of Guadalupe in his apron from the mountain top to where Guadalupe first appeared asking St. Diego to build a church their in her honor, to the flowers which miraclously appeared on the mountain topin the middle of winter when Bishop Zumarraga asked to see a sign and finally to the imprint that appeared to Bishop Zumarraga of the Virgin of Guadalupe that appeared on St. Diego's apron as he present the sign the Bishop had requested.

Judgement: I chose this artwork because I was interested in the importance of the Lady of Guadalupe and the story behind the artwork. I feel like the Lady of Guadalupe is very similiar to the virgin Mary if not the same exact person because the way she is depicted with the light shining behind her is very similiar to artwork of the virgin Mary sometimes with or without Jesus in her arms.

Questioning: I would like to know how the artist's last name is Guadalupe. Did he aquire that last name or was he given that last name because he was very devoted to her? Why does the virgin of Guadalupe symbolize the Mexican nation? Since Mexico's War of Independence, both Miguel Hidalgo and Emiliano Zapata's rebel armies waged war underneath Guadalupan flags and now the virgin of Guadalupe symbolizes all Mexicans.