Celestino Avilés Meléndez
Puerto Rican, born 1925
The Virgin of the Kings / Virgen de los Reyes, 1999
Wood
18 x 6 1/16 x 5 ½ inches
Lent from a private Florida collection

The theme of the Virgin of the Kings has no prior historical reference and is unique to Puerto Rico. According to local legend, the Virgin Mary led the kings—Melchor, Gaspar, and Balthasar—on their journey to find the Christ Child, lighting the way by carrying the star of Bethlehem in her hands. In Puerto Rico, the kings are usually shown riding horses, probably because camels were unknown to early artisans. Yet, the artist here shows them on foot, diminutive figures before a towering Virgin. The disproportionate scale of the figures symbolizes the Virgin's hierarchical importance.