A Virgin surrounded by flowers
Eknakán is an old hacienda within the municipality of Cuzamá, Yucatán, an area with many cultural and tourist attractions. Eknakán began in the 18th century as a ranch for raising cattle and cultivating corn, but at the end of the 19th century it experienced its heyday as a sisal hacienda, under the ownership of Ricardo Molina Solís.
According to information on the Yucatan State Government website, the place name is Maya, and means “black house of the snake”.
The hacienda chapel, dedicated to St. Joseph, dates from the glory days of sisal production. It is one of eight neo-Gothic chapels surviving in Yucatan, and is remarkable for its size, its majestic architecture, and the decorative features that embellish the interior, such as reredoses, chandeliers and stained glass.
At one of the side altars of the chapel hangs a very fine oil painting of the Virgin of the Rosary. Mary is portrayed at full length, posed upon cherubim, wearing a white gown and a flowing blue robe. In her left arm she cradles the Baby Jesus, while in her right hamd she holds a rosary of pearls. The delicate transparency of the Virgin’s veil, and the details of the costume testify to the painter’s skill.
The figure of Mary is shown ringed by a garland of roses that form a rosary, done in soft pastel tones and easy brushstrokes. This type of decorative detail is typical of paintings from the second half of the 18th century, which gives us an approximate date for the artwork. The liturgical feast of the Virgin of the Rosary is on the 7th October.
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