Spanish school; second half of the 17th century.

Spanish school; second half of the XVII century.
"Adoration of the Virgin of Pilar".
Oil on canvas. Relined.
Presents restorations.
Measurements: 107 x 85 cm.
This work is inscribed in the rich peninsular baroque tradition that fuses popular devotion, visual theatricality and emotional intensification. The composition articulates two areas: the celestial, flooded with golden light and populated by numerous child angels, and the ground, immersed in a dense half-light where human figures, kneeling and gesticulating, direct their gaze towards the miraculous apparition. In the upper plane, the Virgin is shown seated among clouds, wrapped in a red tunic and blue mantle, a characteristic iconography of the Hispanic Baroque and the Pilarist cult. Her serene gesture and the slightly inclined disposition of her body reinforce the idea of her benevolent intervention on the faithful. Around her, cherubs and putti form a dynamic atmosphere, agitated by foreshortened bodies and ascending movements, reinforcing the luminous dramatism that contrasts with the earthly darkness. A group of angels carries the column (the pillar).
The iconography of the Virgin of the Pillar was deeply rooted in Spanish devotion since the 17th century and therefore in the painting of the time. The Virgen del Pilar is an invocation of the Virgin Mary, venerated mainly in Zaragoza and celebrated on October 12. Tradition has it that she appeared to the apostle Santiago in the year 40 on a pillar, encouraging him to evangelize, and that is where her name comes from.