Around 1555, Spanish artist Alonso de Narváez was commissioned to paint the Virgin of the Rosary, accompanied by Saint Anthony and Saint Andrew, for a small chapel. The scene, which was painted on a canvas made of native cotton (a precious material), deteriorated to a point where it was no longer visible. 
  
When a local woman from Chiquinquirá found the damaged painting, she began caring for it, praying that the Virgin would manifest herself. On December 26, 1586, the Virgin was seen to glow with golden rays, and the painting was magically restored. Following that event she became known for working miracles; she eventually amassed a widespread audience, particularly during the feast of Corpus Christi, when Indigenous groups would gift her silk banners. By 1770, Spanish authorities declared Our Lady of Chiquinquirá the patrona (patron) of New Granada, a title she still holds for Colombia. The painting seen here is a late eighteenth-century version based on the original.