This is a close-up photo of the actual tilma. As a Catholic artist, I have taken the liberty of restoring some of the faded color while preserving its antique and original look. I used colored pencils as well as Photoshop. 

In 1999, Pope John Paul II proclaimed the Virgin Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Patroness of the Americas, Empress of Latin America, and Protectress of Unborn Children. She is one of my all-time favorites.

The traditional story of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is that it appeared miraculously on the cloak of St. Juan Diego, a simple indigenous peasant, on the hill of Tepeyac near Mexico City on December 12, 1531. The image was in a chapel in what is now Mexico City, where it was influential in the conversion of the Aztecs and millions of other native Americans.

Today the original, five-hundred-year old tilma (cloak), with its image of Our Lady, can be seen in the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City. It is the most visited Catholic shrine in the world.

8.5 x 11 acid-free paper with archival ink. The print will last for generations when kept out of the direct sun. There is about an inch-and-a-third of white space around the picture. Cardboard backer. Enclosed in a tight-fitting, crystal clear bag.

IMPORTANT!!! The image is smaller than the paper.

Standard size. Easy to find a ready-made frame at your local Hobby Lobby. If you're sending this as a gift and would like us to frame it for you, please convo and we'll make special arrangements for you.

Text and Image Alterations ©  Sue Kouma Johnson

You might also be interested in original Catholic art and jewelry by me, Sue Kouma Johnson, available all over this shop! Thanks!