An imaginary dress?

About images and media in the cult of Benigna Cardoso

Abstract

On October 24, 1941, 13-year-old Benigna Cardoso da Silva was brutally murdered in Santana do Cariri, a rural town in Ceará, Brazil, after resisting an attempted sexual assault. Despite the absence of photographs or physical images of the teenager, she has since been venerated as a saint in the region. A red polka-dot dress has become Benigna’s primary identifier in modernity, symbolizing her enduring presence. Situated between the real and the imagined, the visible and the invisible, this iconic pattern persists across all artistic and devotional representations of the sacred figure, proliferating across bodies, minds, and media. Devotees donning the red-and-white polka-dot dress fulfill vows and honor Benigna’s memory at local religious gatherings. The dress also materializes in altars, pamphlets, sculptures, and Instagram pages—images brought to life through digital design or the craftsmanship of local Cariri artisans, reconstructing the girl whose true likeness remains elusive. Drawing on oral histories, collective memory, and interpretive analysis, this article explores how the red polka-dot dress generates material embodiments, forges symbolic meanings, and sustains affective connections within Benigna’s cult.