The Virgin 2017

Harmonia Rosales painted ‘The Virgin’ in 2017, and it’s just mesmerizing! The color palette here is so smart and effective, relying on contrast but also warmth. Rosales layers the paint, building up these rich dark tones in the figures against the shimmer of that gold ground. It’s got a real iconic vibe, like an early Renaissance painting. Look at the way the red cloth drapes, how the artist has handled the folds. It's not overly rendered, just enough to suggest the weight and texture. And the faces—both mother and child—are so expressive. There's a tenderness, but also a kind of strength in the mother's gaze, it feels really contemporary. Rosales clearly knows her art history, but she’s not afraid to mix it up, bringing her own perspective and lived experience to these classic themes. Like, what does it mean to see a Black Madonna? It asks you to rethink everything. Art, for me, is at its best when it shakes things up like this.