Producer unknown to us
Image of a saint
Americas, Ecuador, Pichincha, Quito
Prior to 1874
Copperplate, painted, varnished
Alphons Stübel (geologist) and Wilhelm Reiß (geographer) acquired the image during their research trip to Ecuador from 1870–1874
Donation to the museum by Stübel and Reiß in 1887
SAm 2072
This Catholic image of the saint depicts Maria Immacolata/ Immaculate Conception. Such a classical depiction of Maria Immacolata shows Mary standing without a child. The serpent she is trampling represents the biblical symbol of sin, and the crescent moon under her feet is considered an apocalyptic sign. Gender perceptions and norms shaped by religion, such as those conveyed through the image of Mary, are integral to the reproduction of patriarchal social structures. Queer feminist interpretations that challenge these structures reinterpret the character of Mary today. For example, Mary is now seen as an asexual icon, and her deosexual conception is considered a symbol of autonomy and empowerment.
In 1868, geologist Alphons Stübel and geographer Wilhelm Reiß went on a research trip to South America that would last several years. During this trip, they focused primarily on archaeological and ethnographic research. They stayed in Ecuador from 1870 to 1874, where they acquired this image of the saint and eventually donated it to the museum in 1887.
Julia von Sigsfeld