Our Lady of Candles

The Feast Day of the Virgin of Candelaria or Our Lady of Candelaria (Virgen de Candelaria, Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria), popularly called La Morenita, celebrates an apparition of the Virgin Mary on the island of Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands (Spain). The center of worship is located in the city of Candelaria in Tenerife. She is depicted as a Black Madonna(although this was a commission for a customer, and he requested her to have light skin, as well as a few other small changes). She is the patron saint of the Canary Islands and the island of Tenerife.[2] Her feast is celebrated on February 2 and August 15, this patronal feast on Canary Islands.

According to a legend recorded by Alonso de Espinosa in 1594, a statue of the Virgin Mary, bearing a child in one hand and a green candle in the other (hence "Candelaria"), was discovered on the beach of Chimisay (Güímar) by two Guanche goatherds in 1392. This occurred before the Castilian conquest of the island (the island was not fully conquered until 1496).


Two shepherds tried to harm the lovely statue, but did not succeed, as they were literally, physically unable to bring their hand down upon it.


I thought this was a truly interesting version of The Blessed Mother, and was delighted to be commissioned for my own version. The customer who came to me for this, said he wanted light skin, for Mary to be a very young woman, wearing a crown, and long, flowing, uncovered hair. The other features are some of the ways she is shown in other depictions, such as the green candle in one hand. This will be a gift for the client's Mother, which blessed me even more to hear.

size: 4x6 inches
media: mixed

Prints will be made available in my art shop shortly...