Attributed to Echave Orio (Zumaya, C. 1548 - México, 1624) “The Praying and Adoring Virgin” Oil on canvas. Relined. 91 x 69.5 cm. A fragment or section of what may be a Nativity scene. While historically the division of a work of art has often been a forced dismemberment for the sake of the art market, in the contemporary era it is used as a tool for artistic performance, as exemplified by Banksy. We believe this masterpiece was cut, perhaps for economic reasons—whether due to space constraints or conservation needs. Unsigned, it possesses a strong personality and the artist’s distinctive brushstrokes. Against a rural backdrop with grazing lambs in the distance, a split stable stands out, painted in the Northern European style. And a figure beneath it anchors the scene. It combines the meticulousness, realism, and luminous detail of Flemish painting with the drama of chiaroscuro and the theatricality of the Baroque. We contemplate a meditative and prayerful Virgin, an Italian-Flemish Marian model, mystical, where the perfection of her silence speaks for itself, where her face indicates the center and focal point of the work where we must direct our gaze—in this case, absent. Through her posture and gaze, she directs our eyes to that target: her newborn Son, made a Child, lying in a manger, warmed by an ox, and in the distance, accompanied by a group of grazing lambs, which theologically signify that He is the true Lamb of God who is born and comes to take away the sin of the world. A crossbeam resembling a column next to the ox suggests the support for the roof of a stable, where perhaps the chaste Joseph stands with the donkey, both of them also contemplating and adoring the Miracle that lies before their eyes. This Virgin in a prayerful pose represents a high point of Marian iconography, where perfection is sought both in technique and in the expression of piety and theology. A silent Virgin, yet a spiritually active Virgin Our image, kneeling, contemplates (as expected) the newborn Baby Jesus with her hands clasped in prayer. This posture emphasizes her role as the first devotee. This image seeks not only technical beauty (which it possesses not only in the face, in the technique of painting an almost transparent veil covering her head, or in the cuffs richly embroidered in gold), but also to move the viewer and reinforce the theological doctrine regarding the nature of Christ and Mary, purely divine natures. A painting that is a complete work in itself, independent, distinguished by its profound devotion, purity of lines, and enameled colors. An image of great sweetness and a timeless style that evokes the aesthetics of the Renaissance. Refinement, contemplation, and silent devotion, focusing all expressive power on the Virgin’s face. A painter born in Zumaya who later trained in Seville, where he became acquainted with the works of Hernando de Esturmio and Luis de Vargas. The fact that he witnessed firsthand the creation of these works, which were produced to be sent to New Spain, appears to have been a significant influence on his career, leading him to decide to travel to Mexico, where he settled and married the daughter of the painter Francisco Ibía. Many artistic influences reached New Spain; among them, the Flemish painters—Martín de Vos, Simón Pereyns, and Andrés de Concha—undoubtedly had the greatest impact on his style. This Flemish influence is clearly visible in this copper engraving, as seen in the landscape in which the scene is set. Equally evident are the delicate features he uses in the characters’ faces and hands, as well as the characteristic depiction of the Infant Jesus. His first dated work was created jointly with his father-in-law, Francisco Ibía, in 1590 for the old cathedral of Puebla. His individual work dates back to 1606, with a Virgin of Guadalupe. Several artists were trained in his workshop, including his own son, Baltasar Echave Ibía, and it appears that Luis Juárez may also have been his disciple. Viceroyal painting in the first half of the 17th century was strongly marked by the influence of the style that emerged from the Echave family’s workshop. Notable works by him include *Porciúncula* and *La Visitación*, dated 1608–1610, which were created for the main altarpiece of the Franciscan church in Tlatelolco and are currently part of the collection of the National Museum of Art, as are *La Anunciación* and *La Adoración de los Reyes*.