SUMMARY From Preaching Relic to Apologetic Metaimage: The Discursive and Visual Transformation in Saint Luke Painting Our Lady of the Snows by Juan Correa

Abstract

In the temple of La Profesa in Mexico City, there is a mid-16th century image-relic, believed to be a de visu copy from the Marian icon Salus Populi Romani. This painting was imported from Rome with the arrival of the Jesuits to New Spain, serving as a visual preacher during the evangelization process and establishment of the first colleges. At the end of the 17th century, artist Juan Correa modified its format, incorporating Saint Luke the painter into the composition and thereby creating a metaimage. This modification was driven by shifts in visual culture, Creole apologetic interests within the Society of Jesus, and the artist’s effort to elevate painting as a liberal art. This article examines this discursive and functional transformation through the study of visual rhetoric and the object-circumstance relationship, analyzing how the image evolved in dialogue with its respective spectator society.