Page 14 - Guadalupe of Mexico in Spain

Science

From the last quarter of the 17th century onwards, doctors, astronomers, mathematicians and
antiquarians advanced a number of theories to explain the phenomenon of the imprint in accordance

with scientific laws. Through the study of light, optics, physics and geometry, their inspections and
deductions tended towards a confirmation of the celestial origin of the Holy Original, and its execution
was even attributed to the Trinity or to the inspiration of angelic spirits.

Intimate devotions

The copies of the Virgin of Guadalupe were made to various scales and on different types of support.
Among the most highly appreciated were copper plates, which were beaten and polished until their
surface was flat. This allowed the painters to achieve great finesse and delicacy through the use of
minute and precise brushstrokes. Most of the plates are small, but some of considerable dimensions
have been preserved. The small-format pieces like those on display were easy to transport and so
preferred for private or intimate devotion, although they were sometimes incorporated in altars or

retables.