Flemish school; c. 1600.

Flemish school; c. 1600.
"Virgin and Child".
Oil on oak panel.
Presents restorations.
Measurements: 47 x 35.4 cm; 59 x 47 cm (frame).
Devotional image of scenographic presentation, which shows the Virgin with the Child on her lap, sitting on a throne of clouds, both framed in a border of flowers. The figure of the Virgin holds a rosary in her hands, made of coral with a golden cross, while the Child holds a crown in his hands. The figure of Mary is a monumental figure, well seated and sculptural, typical of the classicist baroque, and occupies most of the pictorial surface, directly illuminated by a clear and uniform light, which models. This light gives the flesh tones of both figures a pearly appearance, in accordance with the classical idealization they show. The figures stand out well silhouetted against a pearly background, subtly worked with shades of ochre.
The iconography of the Virgin of the Rosary is directly related to the figure of Saint Dominic. Tradition, which began in the 15th century, tells that the mother of God herself taught the saint to pray the rosary in 1208, telling him to propagate this devotion and use it as a powerful weapon against the enemies of the faith. Appearing in the chapel where the saint was praying, holding a rosary in his hand, he taught him to recite it, promising that many sinners would be converted and obtain abundant graces. St. Dominic left there full of zeal, with the rosary in his hand. He did indeed preach it, and with great success, bringing many Albingenses back to the Catholic faith.