Sacred Feminine

This book examines the role of culture, religion, psychology, art, gender and history in the development of the New Mexican religious folk art form during the Colonial and Territorial Periods. It was an art that richly portrayed the feminine both in character and in spirit. From the time of the conquest in the mid-1500s, the territory was Spanish Catholic in tradition, laws, art and culture. In what was an isolated and barren land the settlers turned to their religion and eventually created a native, indigenous folk art that exemplified their faith and eased their loneliness and seclusion. The saints, carved and painted, became members of the family. Santos were the object of prayer. These saints held special places of honor in each Hispanic home usually upon an altar available for daily veneration. The saints preserved not only the faith but la famila.

Sacred Feminine examines the role that culture, religion, sociology, art and gender played in the development of the religious Santero art, in particular, the images of women. Santero art beautifully portrayed the feminine both in nature and spirit. The Spanish loved the Virgin profoundly and fervently from the 12th century onward, within the Cult of Mary, in Spain and throughout Europe. This devotion reached its peak just before and during the discovery and conquest of the New World.

The vecinos of New Mexico tolerated a harsh climate, isolation, poverty and separation for over 250 years before Anglo-American settlers entered the region. They had a history of utilizing their spirituality and creativity to help them withstand the circumstances they endured daily. This tradition of making iconic religious art was a work of faith, tied to the sacredness of the land and their surroundings. The images of women that were significant in this period are the focus of Sacred Feminine.