The Eyes of the Virgin

Sandro Botticelli was dead by 1510, Leonardo da Vinci by 1519 and Raphael in 1520 (aged only 37). It was the end of an extraordinary era in art. But digital technology is giving us new leads in understanding the paintings of those times. Certainly it has helped with a puzzle that scientists had long wrestled with: who were those mysterious figures in the eyes of the Virgin of Guadalupe?

It now appears that her encounter with Juan Diego is fully miniaturized in the pupils. Digital technology confirms this, as you can clearly see in the image below, although we are unable to also confirm it is the face of Malinche, for after all, Don Pedro had disguised her as a European.

😀