The Birth of the Virgin

The Birth of the VirginGregorio Vásquez de Arce y Ceballos

560
This oil on copper (c. 1680) shows St Anne cradling the newborn Virgin Mary while St Joachim sits nearby. An angel points toward the cradle, linking the child’s fragile body to her future role in salvation history. Intimate gestures, soft light, and domestic furnishings adapt European Marian imagery to an Andean household setting, suggesting a localized vision of sacred family life.