Flemish or Italian school of the early 17th century

Flemish or Italian school of the early 17th century.
"Virgin of silence", based on the model of Angelino Medoro.
Oil on copper.
Measurements: 23 x 18,3 cm; 38 x 33,8 cm (frame).

This delicate work is based on the model of Angelino Medoro, "The Sleeping Child", and synthesizes the transition between the late Italian mannerism and the first naturalistic impulses that would mark the viceregal painting.

The scene is one of intimate recollection. The mastery of the glazes that provides an almost tactile sensation stands out. The very fine brushstroke achieves an intense luminosity. The result is an almost enamel-like skin, with smooth transitions and a chromatic richness difficult to achieve on canvas.

The idealized faces, with elegant lines and restrained expression, refer to the mannerist language learned by Medoro in Rome; however, the way in which the light envelops the figures announces a search for greater naturalism, preluding the baroque in Latin America.

Angelino Medoro was a key figure in the formation of colonial painting. After his stay in Spain, he developed an intense activity in the New Kingdom of Granada, the Province of Quito and the Viceroyalty of Peru, where he exerted a decisive influence, especially in the Cuzco school. His work contributed to adapt European models to the new sensibilities and contexts of the American continent.

Today, paintings attributed or documented by Medoro are preserved in institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts in Seville, the Colonial Museum in Bogota, museums in Santiago de Chile and the Church of Santo Domingo in Quito, among others.