Andalusian school; late seventeenth century.

Andalusian School; late seventeenth century.
"The Dormition of the Virgin".
Oil on canvas. Relined.
Measurements: 151,5 x 84 cm.
This Virgin's dormition, attributed to the Andalusian school of the end of the XVII century, is a work of remarkable devotional content and deep Marian symbolism, characteristic of the Spanish baroque art, particularly the one developed in Andalusia, where the popular religiosity and the cult to the Virgin Mary reached levels of great aesthetic and emotional intensity.
The scene depicts the Virgin Mary asleep, an iconography that refers to the oriental and medieval tradition of the Dormition of the Virgin, understood as a placid and glorious transit to heaven, rather than a death in the human sense. This image was assimilated in Counter-Reformation Catholicism as a way of emphasizing the purity and exemption from sin of the Mother of God, and became a frequent theme in Hispanic sacred art.
The Virgin lies reclining on richly embroidered cushions, with her hands together in an attitude of prayer, her eyes closed and a serene face that conveys peace and holiness. She wears a white tunic with a dark blue mantle dotted with golden stars, clearly alluding to her role as Queen of Heaven (Regina Coeli), reinforced by the regal crown adorning her head. Beneath her feet is a crescent moon, a traditional iconographic element taken from the Apocalypse (12:1), which reinforces her figure as the Woman clothed with the sun.
The environment is dark, with a recollected and intimate atmosphere, where small stars and celestial beams of light stand out, evoking the divine presence. On either side of the scene are vases of roses, lilies and lilies, flowers associated with virginity, purity and spiritual love. This botanical detail further emphasizes the incorruptible nature of the Virgin.
The pictorial style reflects the values of the late Andalusian baroque, in which devotional intensity is expressed through the use of chiaroscuro, the richness of the fabrics, mystical symbolism and a composition that seeks to move the viewer beyond the mere visual story. Unlike other more dramatic representations of the Assumption or the Death of the Virgin, here a contemplative and sweetly idealized tone predominates.