In 2002 while visiting Barcelona, Spain, I went to the shrine of Our Lady of Montserrat, one of the Black Madonna's of Europe. According to legend, the statue was carved by St. Luke and brought to Spain by St. James. It was hidden in a cave when Spain was occupied by the Moors and it mysteriously reappeared in 890. Because it could not be moved, the church was built around it, and many miracles have been attributed to it. St. Ignatius Loyola had his conversion experience at this shrine before founding the Jesuits and Christopher Columbus made a pilgrimage to Our Lady of Montserrat before embarking on his journey to the New World. It is an incredibly beautiful shrine on a mountain top in Spain. This colored pencil drawing of her is one of my earliest works and it's very primitive, but I wanted to honor the Blessed Mother on the eve of the Assumption by posting it here and sharing it with you.
