MADRID.- The Museo Nacional del Prado has just added a dazzling new treasure to its galleries: a monumental enconchado painting of the Virgin of Guadalupe, now on temporary deposit for one year. This extraordinary work, once housed in the Capuchin convent of the Most Precious Blood in Castellón de la Plana, is now on view in Room 18 of the Villanueva Building.
The painting is remarkable both for its beauty and for its rarity. Created between 1680 and 1710, it is one of the largest surviving examples of the enconchado technique—an artistic innovation born in New Spain (colonial Mexico). The process involved inlaying sheets of mother-of-pearl onto wooden panels and layering them with delicate washes of pigment, lacquer, and varnish. The shimmering effect, often enhanced with powdered gold and silver, produced luminous works that bridged indigenous craft traditions with global influences, particularly Japanese export lacquers.
In this case, the luminous tesserae cover the Virgin’s entire figure, leaving only the flesh tones exposed. Surrounding her are the four celebrated apparitions of Guadalupe, all enclosed within an ornate frame decorated with grapes, flowers, birds, and butterflies. The result is both sumptuous and deeply devotional—a faithful life-size echo of the “original” Guadalupe venerated in Mexico City.
Art historians highlight the painting’s importance as one of just two known enconchado Guadalupes of this scale. Its counterpart, adorned with a grand silver frame, remains in the parish church of San José in Tlaxcala, Mexico. “Its quality and size make it one of the most spectacular works of its kind ever preserved,” the Prado emphasized in its announcement.
The convent that originally housed the work, founded in the late 17th century under royal patronage, had built an impressive artistic collection by the 18th century, with pieces linked to masters such as Zurbarán, Jerónimo Jacinto de Espinosa, and Pedro de Mena. When the Capuchin community relocated to Barbastro in 2012, the enconchado remained in Castellón, hidden from public view—until now.
By displaying the work, the Prado offers visitors not only a rare encounter with this hybrid art form but also a bridge between Spain and Latin America’s shared cultural heritage. For art lovers and devotees alike, this luminous Virgin of Guadalupe is far more than a painting: it is a radiant testament to faith, artistry, and cross-cultural dialogue.
