Spanish school of the XVII century,

Spanish school of the XVII century,
"Immaculate Conception".
Oil on canvas. Relined.
Measurements: 168 x 120 cm.
Baroque Spain, where this iconography reached an exceptional relevance as a visual manifestation of faith and dogmatic defense of the Marian mystery. Executed with a solemn and devotional language, the composition presents the Virgin Mary standing on the crescent moon, surrounded by clouds and cherub heads, following the iconographic model consolidated from the apocalyptic visions and widely spread by the Spanish painting of the sixteenth century. The central figure is characterized by a serene idealization, with a youthful face and an expression of spiritual recollection, emphasized by the disposition of the hands joined in prayer and the elevated gaze. The treatment of light, with a strong symbolic charge, envelops the Virgin in a golden glow that reinforces her immaculate purity and separates her from the earthly realm. From the stylistic point of view, the work reflects unique features of the Spanish school of the 17th century, such as the balance between naturalism and idealization, compositional sobriety and contained emotional intensity, heir to both Tenebrist realism and Counter-Reformation spirituality. The chromatic richness, dominated by luminous whites and deep blues, as well as the careful execution of the draperies, contribute to underline the dignity and transcendence of the Marian figure. As a whole, the painting responds to a clearly devotional purpose, conceived to encourage contemplation and spiritual adherence of the faithful, and constitutes a significant testimony of the central role that the iconography of the Immaculate Conception played in the artistic and religious identity of Baroque Spain.