Spanish school; 17th century.

Spanish school; XVII century.
"Virgin with child".
Oil on panel.
Measurements: 63 x 48 cm; 80 x 65 cm (frame).
In this canvas the author represents a scene very repeated in the History of Art, especially since the Renaissance: the Virgin with the Child Jesus in her arms. It was a theme widely treated during the Renaissance and Baroque, since it emphasized the human aspect of Christ, in the innocence and happiness of his childhood, in dramatic contrast with his destiny of sacrifice. Thus, the Savior appears represented as a child of delicate beauty and soft anatomy, protected by the maternal figure of Mary, whose face shows, in its seriousness, the knowledge of the bitter destiny of her son.
Since the end of the Middle Ages, artists insisted on representing, in an increasingly intense way, the bond of affection that united Christ with his Mother and the close relationship between the two, this was encouraged in the Renaissance and, naturally, in the Baroque period, when the exacerbation of emotions characterizes much of the artistic production. The theme of the Virgin represented with the Child Jesus, and more specifically with him on her lap, seated or standing, has its origin in the Eastern religions of Antiquity, in images such as that of Isis with her son Horus, but the most direct reference is that of the Virgin as "Sedes Sapientiae", or throne of God, in medieval Christian art. Gradually, with the advance of naturalism, the Virgin will pass from being a simple "throne" of the Child to reveal a relationship of affection, beginning in the Gothic period. From then on, the figures will acquire movement, approaching each other, and finally the concept of the throne will disappear and with it the secondary role of the Virgin. In this way, the image will become an example of the love between Mary and her Son, an image of tenderness, close, designed to move the spirit of the faithful.