An intimate image of the Virgin and Child becomes a meditation on separation, sorrow and redemption. Tears on both faces and the small cross held by Christ anticipate the Passion, while Mary’s embrace gives visual form to the words of the Song of Songs inscribed beneath them.

Other Latin inscriptions draw on Simeon’s prophecy and the Gospel of Luke, connecting maternal affection with Mary’s foreknowledge of her son’s suffering. The sewing implements beside her place this theological message within a recognisable domestic setting. In his study, Adrián Contreras-Guerrero relates the painting’s handling of the red ground, luminous flesh and expressive figures to Miguel Cabrera’s documented practice and to comparable works in the Museo de América. Although unsigned, the canvas is identified in the study as a work by Cabrera, dating to approximately 1751–1768.

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