A follower of Alonso Cano; 17th century.

A follower of ALONSO CANO (Granada, 1601–1667), 17th century.
“Immaculate Conception.”
Polychrome clay.
Base adapted from a later period.
Measurements: 35 x 12 x 10 cm.
Devotional image of Mary as the Immaculate Conception, with a closed, ascending, spindle-shaped structure that follows the models established by Alonso Cano. The image depicts Mary in a prayerful pose, dressed in blue and white (colors alluding to the concepts of truth and eternity—blue—and purity—white), standing on a pedestal of clouds adorned with cherub faces and a crescent moon—a reference to the iconography of the Immaculate Conception—which extends beyond the sides. The piece follows traditional iconography, allowing the viewer to delight in the delicacy of the carving, evident in the rendering of the mantle—which appears to be billowing in the wind—and in the refinement of the Virgin’s facial features, which are completely idealized.
Based on its formal and iconographic characteristics, we can place this Immaculate Conception within the circle of followers of Alonso Cano, a painter, sculptor, and architect who is considered today one of the most influential artists of the Spanish Baroque. He was also the founder of the Granada school of painting and sculpture, and his disciples included Juan de Sevilla, Pedro Atanasio Bocanegra, José Risueño, Pedro de Mena, and José de Mora. The son of a prominent altarpiece builder and possibly also a draftsman, Alonso Cano was introduced to architectural drawing and religious sculpture by his father, with whom he collaborated from a very young age. In 1614 or 1615, he moved with his family to Seville, where he soon joined the painting workshop of Francisco Pacheco, at that time the city’s most prestigious master and, in effect, Velázquez’s teacher, with whom Cano formed a deep friendship. As a sculptor, he is traditionally believed to have trained under Juan Martínez Montañés, although there is no documentary evidence of this. As early as 1624, he signed his first known painting, and two years later he earned the title of master painter. In 1638, he moved to Madrid and was soon appointed court painter and drawing instructor to Prince Baltasar Carlos. There he became acquainted with the royal collections, which led his artistic style to evolve from his early Caravaggism toward a more colorful and elegant style, at times reminiscent of Van Dyck. However, in 1644 he was accused of murdering his wife, prompting him to seek refuge in Valencia. A year later, he returned to Madrid, and in 1652 he returned permanently to Granada, where he obtained a position at the cathedral thanks to the influence of Philip IV. There he completed the decoration of the main chapel and became the cathedral’s chief master. Works by Alonso Cano are currently preserved in the Prado Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts in Seville, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, the Louvre in Paris, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, and the Art Institute of Chicago, among other prominent collections in Spain and abroad.