Novohispanic School. Guatemala. 17th - 18th century. Virgin Mary' and 'Mary Magdalena'. Pair of carved, gilded, stewed and polychrome cedar wooden sculptures. Virgin measurements: 36 x 20,5 x 20,5 cm. Mary Magdalene measurements: 35,5 x 18 x 22 cm. These images serve as splendid examples of the refinement of sculpture in Guatemala in the 18th century. Fully covered in gold, with estofado technique and 'picado de lustre' - a patterned effect achieved using small chisels or burins. It is painted with various colours by brush. The sclptures are adorned with flowers, palm leaves, and small delicate geometric motifs. The mastery of the carving is evident in the multitude of folds in their elaborate garments, the emotion and sadness conveyed by the faces, and the beautiful strands of Mary Magdalene's hair. These images are comparable in quality to two sculptures that are part of the collection of the LACMA Museum in Los Angeles: the Archangel Saint Michael (collection number M.2021.1a-b) with significant similarities in the rich and fine polychrome, and the Virgin of the Rosary, polychromed by the artist Felipe de Estrada. It is important to highlight that in the society of that era, both in New Spain and in Europe, there was an enormous demand for this type of figure. Writings from the time reflect the society's desire to possess these excellent images. As indicated by Professor Ilona Katzew (Curator and Head of the Latin American Art Department at LACMA in Los Angeles), 'in a letter to a fellow priest in Guatemala, the Franciscan commissioner in New Spain, Manuel de Nájara, thanked him for obtaining some images, emphasizing that the fame of Guatemalan carvings was widely recognized throughout the viceroyalty'. Reference Bibliography: - Katzew, Ilona. 'Archive of the World. Art and imagination in Spanish America, 1500 - 1800.' Los Angeles County Museum of Art.