How does the Black Madonna relate to Our Lady of Guadalupe?
The place where Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared used to be the worship site where the Aztecs venerated the goddess Tonantzin. So the power was already there. It did not start with the sighting of the Virgin. How have these images changed over time? They’ve become independent of religious worship. People who don’t consider themselves to be Catholic have images of the Virgin of Guadalupe in their homes. Not everyone who believes in her believes in God or religion. At the borderline between cultures there is a lot of creativity with the images because of cultural ambiguity and a multiplicity of influences. Mexican American women artists transform the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe to suit their purpose and to reinforce their message. Our Lady of Guadalupe has appeared as a Chicano rights fighter in a painting by Ester Hernandez, and Our Lady of Częstochowa was depicted on the cover of the Polish magazine Wprost wearing a gas mask to protest air pollution. The Black Madonna goes with the ti
