Attributed to Claudio Coello

Attributed to CLAUDIO COELLO (Madrid, 1642-1693).
"Immaculate Conception.
Oil on canvas. Relined.
It presents Repainting and restorations.
Measurements: 63,5 x 44,5 cm.
This work shows the aesthetic influence of the artistic maturity of Claudio Coello and reveals its direct dialogue with the model of the Immaculate Conception of Juan Carreño de Miranda preserved in the Museum of Guadalajara. Although the composition clearly refers to Carreño, Coello introduces a more personal interpretation, characterized by a softer and more refined chromatic range, with pastel tones and a luminous elegance that moves away from the more severe hallmarks of his master.
The study of the angels is particularly significant. It is closely related to Coello's drawing Ángeles niños, kept in the Biblioteca Nacional, which is considered a preparatory study for an Immaculate Conception. The angelic groups in the lower area faithfully reproduce models by Carreño de Miranda, particularly the little angels of the great Immaculate Conception in the Hispanic Society of America (New York). The little angel with his back to the left stands out, cut out on the symbolic mirror, a motif that Coello reused in several versions of this theme, such as those preserved in the Supreme Court and in the Brotherhood of the Refuge of San Antonio de los Portugueses (Madrid), introducing slight variations that provide greater dynamism and sinuous grace, in accordance with his personal taste. The larger angel, in the upper part, has close affinities with those that appear in the Inmaculada signed by Coello of the convent of the Capuchinas of Toledo.
The painting exemplifies the full baroque style of the late seventeenth century and reflects Coello's mastery of scenography, qualities that earned him his appointment as Chamber Painter to King Charles II, the highest recognition for a painter of his time. Trained with Francisco Rizi, Coello developed his own style in which he combined monumental compositions, a refined use of color and rich imagery. After an intense career that included easel painting, large altarpieces and fresco decorations, he was appointed chamber painter in 1685 and, a few years later, painter of the cathedral of Toledo. This Inmaculada brilliantly summarizes his ability to reinterpret consecrated models and endow them with a distinctive elegance, highly appreciated by the collectors of his time and today.