AFA Summer 2020

Summer 66 www.afamag.com | w ww.incollect.com In 1613, a story is told of three sailors who were struggling in rough water off the coast of Cuba when they discovered a statue of the Virgin and Child. The sea calmed and the sailors received a celestial sign—three lights on a hill— indicating where the statue should be placed and a chapel built. The interpretation of the event as a miracle has changed over time, eventually integrating Christian and African religious beliefs. Statues portraying the story have become unifying symbols of Cuban identity. This example, created centuries after the event, presents the sailors at the base of the statue. They are depicted with three distinct skin colors, representing the Spanish, Taíno, and African ancestries that predominate on the island, as well as a Virgin whose complexion can be interpreted as reflecting any of these three groups. The Virgin of Charity, Patroness of Cuba ( la Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre ), Cuba. 1900s. Wood, brass, paint, and gesso. 13¼ x 4½ x 4½ inches. Gift of Josephine N. Carothers (2003 M27498.1-5).