Oh heavens above! In a circular painting by 18th-century Mexican artist Antonio de Torres, a glorious Virgin hovers in heaven among a swirl of pastel clouds. As the Virgin looks up to God, she emanates divine light. A 12-starred halo crowns her head as she stands on a crescent moon, with a jolly sun peeking out from behind her; each of these motifs refers to Revelations 12:1 in the Bible. Saints surround her, with some gazing adoringly up at her, and others gazing out of the painting to encourage our faith. 
A nun’s badge with the Immaculate Conception and saints, Mexico, circa 1720, attributed to Antonio de Torres. Oil on copper; diameter: 7 inches. Purchased with funds provided by the Bernard and Edith Lewin Collection of Mexican Art Deaccession Fund, Los Angeles County Museum of Art. (Public Domain)
De Torres’s jubilant painting is packed full of devout meaning, exquisite details, and a big surprise: It’s only seven inches in diameter and is a Mexican nun’s badge that Conceptionist and Hieronymite nuns pinned to their habits, at their throats. (Friars pinned similar badges to their capes.)…