A follower of Bartolomé Esteban Murillo

A follower of BARTOLOMÉ ESTEBAN MURILLO (Seville, 1617–1682); 17th century.
“Virgin of the Milk.”
Oil on canvas.
It has patches on the back.
Measurements: 146 x 104 cm; 156 x 114 cm (frame).
This work, attributed to Murillo’s circle and dating to the late 18th century, recreates one of the Sevillian master’s most celebrated iconographic motifs: the Virgin of the Milk or the Gypsy Madonna, a subject in which Mary’s everyday humanity merges with the sacred dimension of the Incarnation. The composition, centered on the figures of the Virgin and the Child, follows a scheme of great formal simplicity and strong emotional intensity, characteristic of Murillo’s mature work around 1675.
The model followed refers directly to the well-known version preserved in the Galleria Corsini in Rome, a work that achieved extraordinary fame during the 19th century and was enthusiastically described by Gustave Flaubert during his stay in the city in 1851. The writer evoked the magnetic power of the Virgin’s head and the intensity of her eyes, which become the true expressive focal point of the painting. That painting, popularly known as the “Gypsy Madonna” due to the natural and almost folk-like character of her features, exemplifies Murillo’s ability to translate the religious theme into terms of “familiar storytelling,” stripping it of excessive solemnity and drawing the viewer in through a deeply moving emotional intimacy.
The Virgin’s eyes, directed toward the viewer, create a direct connection that seems to interrupt the moment of breastfeeding, suggested by the slight shifting of the cloths. This approach aligns with the iconographic guidelines established after the Council of Trent, which sought to make the depiction of the act of breastfeeding less explicit, favoring instead suggestion and formal modesty without sacrificing the theological content of divine motherhood.
The soft, enveloping lighting delicately renders the skin tones and creates a warm atmosphere of amber hues and deep blues, evocative of Murillo’s style. The sweetness of the figures, the idealized roundness of the faces, and the composition centered on the figures reveal the enduring influence of the Sevillian master’s style in later devotional works. During the 18th century, the repetition and adaptation of his models were common both in Andalusia and in other Spanish contexts, evidence of the deep-rootedness and prestige of his painting.