Label TextBorn Francisca Leal y Bidrio, Sor María (b. 1820) came from a well-known Jalisco family. A full-length portrait of her mother (1852) by Guadalajara artist José María Mares is known. Sor María is shown as a "crowned nun" wearing the Dominican habit and a rosary. A disc with the Dominican emblem and a depiction of Saint Dominic of Guzmán hangs from her habit. She carries a lit candle, a symbol of fidelity, and an image of the Christ child. Her crown represents victory over sin and contains images of the Immaculate Conception, her patron saint, Saint Calletano, and an unidentified figure.
(Marion Oettinger, 1998)