Novo-Hispanic school; second half of the 18th century.

Novo-Hispanic school; second half of the 18th century.
"Celestial vision of Christ to St. Joseph of Calasanz".
Oil on panel.
Preserves old frame.
Measurements: 42,5 x 32 cm; 51,5 x 42 cm (frame).
Devotional painting belonging to the novo-Hispanic school of the second half of the XVIII century, made in oil on panel and preserved with frame of the time. The work represents the heavenly vision of Christ to Saint Joseph Calasanz, founder of the Pious Schools, who appears kneeling in prayerful attitude, dressed in dark clerical habit and white surplice, symbol of his priestly condition and his educational work.
The composition is divided into two clearly differentiated registers: the earthly realm, where the saint stands in the foreground against a barely hinted landscape, and the celestial space, which opens up in a supernatural irruption of clouds and golden glow. In the upper area, Christ is shown in a dynamic attitude, wrapped in wide cloths of pink and blue tones, accompanied by angels and cherubs bearing symbolic attributes. One of them holds an open book, a direct allusion to the pedagogical mission of the Piarist order and the centrality of Christian teaching.
From the stylistic point of view, the work responds to the late novo-Hispanic baroque language, characterized by compositional dynamism, the dramatic use of light to emphasize the mystical experience and a marked gestural expressiveness. The warm chromatism and the hallmarks of light intensify the visionary character of the scene, while the diagonal arrangement of the figures reinforces the communication between the human and divine planes.
Iconographically, the painting exalts the celestial legitimization of the educational mission of Saint Joseph Calasanz, underlining the spiritual dimension of teaching and the divine protection of his work. The piece is a representative example of 18th century Novohispanic religious painting.