(click on image to enlarge)
Josefina Aguilar (Ocotlan de Morelos, Oaxaca, Mexico). Virgin of Solitude, 1998. Painted
clay, 56 x 23 x 17 cm. Courtesy Larry Sanders.
The Virgin of Solitude (Virgen de la Soledad) is the patron saint of
the city of Oaxaca. Each year in early December, the Virgin of Solitude is
celebrated and worshipped in the atrium of the temple, in downtown Oaxaca. Whole families
travel to the city from surrounding villages to pray to the Virgin. In this
example, which is typical of the work of Josefina Aguilar, the Virgin carries a
gilded flower and appears distinguished and regal.