Novohispanic School. Mexico. 18th century. “Scenes from the Life of the Virgin Mary”. Set of five Nun's shield, oil on canvas, each of them representing a passage in the life of the Virgin Mary: The Presentation of Mary in the Temple, The Annunciation, The Visitation, The Birth of Jesus and the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple”. Diameter: 11 cm. each. Nuns shields were a genre of devotional art that was very widespread during the 17th and 18th centuries in Spain and in the Novo-Hispanic world. They were small painted or embroidered pictures with religious scenes, which the nuns wore on their chests when taking their vows. In classic portraits of crowned nuns, in addition to flowers, candles and other ornaments, the relevance of these coats of arms can be seen. The LACMA in Los Angeles, has a nun’s badge in its collection by the Mexican painter Francisco Martínez (Mexico, 1687-1758) dated circa 1750, with the central theme of The Annunciation surrounded by Saints. (Inv. M.2015.142.1) As Professor Ilona Katzew, Curator and Head of the Latin American Art Department at the LACMA in Los Angeles, notes with respect to these nun’s shields: 'This small-scale painting is a badge worn by nuns of the Order of the Immaculate Conception (also known as Conceptionists) in Mexico as part of their dress. Painted badges originated in Mexico in response to religious reforms introduced by the archbishop Francisco Manso y Zúñiga (ruled 1629-1635), who attempted to curtail the luxury and privilege of the convent lifestyle. He forbade nuns to wear shields made of gold, precious stones, and enamel. The nuns circumvented this rule by commissioning shields painted on copper or parchment and set into frames made of tortoiseshell. Many of the badges were painted by the best artists of the day.' This genre of devotional art was widespread during the 17th and 18th centuries in Spain and the New Hispanic world. They tended to be small pictures painted or embroidered with religious scenes, which nuns wore on their chests as they took their vows. It is in the classic portraits of crowned nuns, also with flowers, veils and other ornaments, where we can see the relevance, these badges had. On occasions, artists of the calibre of José de Páez, Luís Juárez or Miguel Cabrera made some of these badges.