Spanish school; 17th century.

Spanish School; XVII century.
"Virgin of the Tabernacle".
Oil on canvas. Relined.
It has an old frame.
Measurements: 105 x 84.5 cm; 115 x 95 cm (frame).
The work shows, on indeterminate background, the image of three quarters of a Virgin Mary with the Child in her arms. Her gaze to the front, the position of her hands, and the position in which Jesus is with respect to his mother suggest that it is a pictorial image inspired by a carving, hence its hieratism. It was a very common practice in the 17th century to dress the most venerated images in this way in order to respect and update them at the same time, as well as to highlight them and add the richness that their "rank" of sacred character requires.
The elements carried by both Mary and the Child, and the gestures of both are largely reminiscent of the image of the so-called Virgin of the Tabernacle of the Cathedral of Toledo. It is usually dated around 1200, made of wood and completely covered with silver (except head and hands) and, already famous in the time of Alfonso X the Wise, was enthroned around 1226, highlighting it even more Isabel the Catholic. During the first half of the XVII century a chapel was built, begun by Don Gaspar de Quiroga and finished by D. Bernardo de Sandoval, and whose inauguration was presided over by Felipe III (it took place in 1616).
As already mentioned, the position of Mary's hands in the Baroque painting is very similar to that of the Toledan carving, as are the faces of the two figures, although the "updating" of the style and the modeling of the volumes to Baroque approaches is clear, rather than following an archaic style related to the medieval. That is to say, using aesthetics (composition, style, drawing, palette...) this painting shows an ancient carving, outstanding in the 17th century in the Toledo environment, either for the person who commissioned the canvas or for a larger number of people, with the idea of situating this painting in a place, but always recalling that particular image it shows.
It is known from texts that the Virgin of the Tabernacle of Toledo mentioned was in the seventeenth century dressed with a rich mantle of pearls and jewels. In addition, the crown shown in the oil painting would be the oldest of the two important ones that "his treasure" has at present (it seems that a base of the fifteenth century and the rest of the work of Alonso de Montoya in 1568 or between 1574 and 1586), and it is really particular for its shape and the bands and holes it creates in front. The rostrillo with pearls of Mary would also be a common element when "decorating" or dressing the medieval carvings that moved a great devotion in the Baroque and later, with a series of jewels and elements that may have been donated by prominent personalities of the time.