Our Lady of Valvanera
ca. 1770–80
Medium
Oil and gold on canvas
Dimensions
80 1/16 × 95 7/8 in. (203.4 × 243.5 cm)
Classification
Painting
Culture
Peru (Cuzco)
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of James Kung Wei Li, in memory of Ambassador and Mme Ti-Tsun Li, Republic of China, 2018
Accession Number
2018.652.3
Tags
Art Historical Context
This striking canvas from Cuzco, Peru, presents the Virgin Mary as Our Lady of Valvanera, a Spanish advocation of the Madonna and Child. Painted around 1770–80, the work belongs to the long tradition of colonial religious art produced in the former Inca capital. Although the artist remains unknown, the painting reflects the distinctive Cuzco School style that flourished under Spanish rule, blending European iconography with local Andean sensibilities. Executed in oil with lavish gold detailing, the canvas demonstrates the technical skill of eighteenth-century Peruvian workshops. Gold leaf or ...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...