He holds the Virgin in his hands, presenting her to the world. As if his wanted to give her to us so that we also may take her for our Lady. He does not look at the Virgin but rather at us as if saying: ‘This is also your Lady’! The Virgin is in front, looking at us, her children.
The image of the Virgin is without rays, crown, or silver moon since these ornaments were added after the death of Negro Manuel. She is wearing a white and sky-blue dress that Ana de Matos had placed on her according to the Spanish custom of dressing the Immaculate with these colors. In fact, the ancient narratives relate that the faithful slave would remove thistles from her dress when the Virgin would relocate to visit the peasants. Below the dress appear the clouds at the base of the terracotta image”.
(from the Description of the painting written by Sr. María de Jesús Sacramentado Riera, SSVM)