The Virgin of Carmen and the Souls of Purgatory with St. Joseph and the Prophet Elijah

The Virgin of Carmen and the Souls of Purgatory with St. Joseph and the Prophet Elijah

Juan Francisco de Aguilera

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Juan Francisco de Aguilera is considered one of the most influential painters of the second decade of the eighteenth century in New Spain. His ability to capture fleeting effects of light and atmosphere heralded a major stylistic change that would mark the next generation of painters. This small painting on copper, made for individual devotion, depicts the Virgin of Carmen interceding on behalf of souls in purgatory. According to Roman Catholic doctrine, purgatory is the place or or state where departed souls are purified of their sins through punishment before entering heaven. In an apparent gesture of devotion, the artist has inscribed his signature above the shackles of an anguished soul.

The American Wing

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Virgin of Carmen and the Souls of Purgatory with St. Joseph and the Prophet ElijahThe Virgin of Carmen and the Souls of Purgatory with St. Joseph and the Prophet ElijahThe Virgin of Carmen and the Souls of Purgatory with St. Joseph and the Prophet ElijahThe Virgin of Carmen and the Souls of Purgatory with St. Joseph and the Prophet ElijahThe Virgin of Carmen and the Souls of Purgatory with St. Joseph and the Prophet Elijah

The American Wing's ever-evolving collection comprises some 20,000 works of art by African American, Euro American, Latin American, and Native American men and women. Ranging from the colonial to early-modern periods, the holdings include painting, sculpture, works on paper, and decorative arts—including furniture, textiles, ceramics, glass, silver, metalwork, jewelry, basketry, quill and bead embroidery—as well as historical interiors and architectural fragments.