Flemish school; 17th century.

Flemish school; XVII century.
"Assumption of the Virgin".
Alabaster carved partially gilded.
Presents losses in the gilding.
Measurements: 41 x 33 cm; 52 x 44 cm (frame).

This relief is a remarkable example of the devotional art developed by the Flemish school of the 17th century. In this piece of extraordinary technical workmanship, the Virgin Mary is represented ascending to heaven in a praying attitude, surrounded by a multitude of angels and cherubs that, with harmonic and enveloping gestures, elevate her in a celestial whirlwind. The vertical and symmetrical composition emphasizes the monumentality of the Marian figure, whose serenity contrasts with the dynamism of the angelic bodies, treated with meticulous detail and a naturalness typical of the Nordic Baroque language.

The treatment of alabaster, a noble and translucent material, reveals a virtuoso mastery of relief, with smooth transitions between planes that give depth and a pictorial effect to the scene. The gilded areas, strategically applied, reinforce the luminosity and sacredness of the moment represented, a common characteristic in Flemish aesthetics, which sought to combine spiritual exaltation with formal refinement. The delicacy in the carving of the features, especially in the serene and contemplative face of the Virgin, as well as in the individualized expression of each angel, denotes a sensitivity close to the Flemish painting of the time, which tended to the emotional and close representation of the divine.

The anatomical rigor, the richness of textures and the almost pictorial treatment of the volume make this piece an eloquent testimony of the high technical level reached by the Flemish workshops specialized in small and medium-sized sculpture during the Baroque period. It is not only a work of devotion, but also an object of aesthetic and intellectual contemplation, in which spirituality, refined technique and a profound understanding of the Christian iconographic repertoire are fused. Overall, the work faithfully reflects the visual and spiritual ideals that animated the Flemish school of the 17th century.