Santa Catalina Arch Framed Antigua Guatemala Landscape Cityscape buying painting

The Santa Catalina Arch was built in 1694 on what is now known as Calle del Arco, or “street of the arch.” Rather than being built for aesthetic reasons, there was purpose behind the arch's construction. On either side of the arch are two convents, the Convent of the Virgin and the Convent of Santa Catalina. Within the convents lived cloistered nuns, and in the 1690s they lived on one side of the of the arch and taught at a school on the other.
The nuns had taken vows of seclusion and had to avoid all contact with the outside world; even being seen in public was off-limits. While attempts had been made to find a school property that bordered the convent, the religious order had no luck and the nuns found themselves in a predicament. They needed to teach, but could hardly just walk out the door onto the bustling street and cross it with the public.
In order for the nuns to go incognito, the idea of a footbridge was proposed, and Santa Catalina Arch was built to join the school and the convent. Within the arch is a hidden passageway enabling the nuns to cross the street without being seen—something you would never guess if you stood below it. The arch has suffered damage over the years, especially in the devastating earthquake of 1773, but it has survived into modernity and has become a potent symbol of the city's resilience. The French-style clock was added in the 1800s and needs to be wound every three days.
The Agua Volcano peeking out behind the arch is so stunning and when I first saw this picturesque street I was completely captivated. And then my friend shared it while he was there last week and I knew I had to get to painting, it was a sign! The whole city of Antigua is so beautiful so I really hope I can make it one day.

I have painted this with ink, and acrylics on a 6x4 canvas board with a colorful bubble design throughout the image playing off the black linework to give just a slightly more funky/abstract feel to my usual style. I buying really enjoy combining my love for nature with my comic book style linework. The piece has a simple black frame with distressed yellow accents to echo tones in the arch.