"La Virgen de Los Muertos" - Richard Alvarez
"La Virgen de los Muertos" was painted in 1996 in the acrylic on canvas media. The 60'' by 20'' painting is quite
controversial due to the depiction of La Virgen as a skeleton. It speaks about the contradictory roles La Virgen is used for and the
"duality of life and death." 6 La Virgen is painted standing on top of a cactus which reflects the controversy of the piece. She is also
painted to large to fit on the canvas telling the observer that this depiction of La Virgen and the roles La Virgen plays is pushing its
limits and testing the boundaries.6
"La Virgen de los Muertos" was chosen for the Virgin Gallery simply because of its controversial nature. To take this
Biblical image and put such an outrageous, yet realistic spin on it really grabs the eye and heart. This image is representative of
Chicanas because as times change, Chicana women explore their boundaries more and test their culture. It also represents the image of
death in the Chicano culture due to the fact that Chicanos do not see death as the ultimate finale, but rather the next step in one's
journey.
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