“Apparition of the Virgin in Santo Domingo de Soriano” Is

Late 17th-century Madrid school. After JUAN BAUTISTA DE MAINO (Pastrana, Guadalajara, 1581 – Madrid, 1649).
“Apparition of the Virgin at Santo Domingo de Soriano,” 1699.
Oil on canvas.
Measurements: 143 x 103 cm; 162.5 x 123 cm (frame).
This work closely follows the paintings on the same subject by Juan Bautista Maíno, a composition of which three autograph versions and numerous copies are known. Specifically, it follows almost literally the version currently preserved at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, painted by the master from Alcarria around 1630, a century after the miracle depicted took place. These three works—two of which are in private collections—are cited by Pérez Sánchez in his book *Pintura madrileña del primer tercio del siglo XVII* (Madrid Painting of the First Third of the 17th Century), p. 315.
The painting depicts the miracle that took place in the Italian town of Soriano on the night of September 15, 1530. A pious and austere Dominican friar named Friar Vicente had arrived in the town to found a convent, which he managed to build with the help of Divine Providence. Thus, a small community of Dominican friars was established in Soriano, living almost unnoticed—a situation that changed drastically in 1530. On that date, the Virgin Mary appeared to the monastery’s sacristan, Friar Lorenzo da Grottaria, and gave him a canvas depicting Saint Dominic. Alongside Mary, Mary Magdalene and Saint Catherine of Alexandria also appeared as patron saints of the Order of Saint Dominic. The painting given by Mary and the two saints was placed in the convent’s church, attracting numerous pilgrims ever since and bringing renown to the previously unknown convent, which would come to be known as Santo Domingo de Soriano. Considered a miraculous image, it has since been the object of great veneration and devotion.
In the 17th century, this miraculous scene associated with the Dominicans was depicted by various Spanish painters, such as Vicente Carducho, Herrera el Mozo (on whose composition Maíno in turn based his own), Juan del Castillo, Alonso Cano, Zurbarán (whose composition is also similar to Maíno’s), and Alonso de Pereda, among others.
In the painting, we see the miraculous image in the center, slightly shifted to the left, held by Saint Catherine, who holds it delicately, raising her little fingers, and bows her head downward to contemplate the image. In front of it, we see the kneeling friar, gazing enraptured at the face of the Virgin—a figure of imposing elegance and sobriety who stands monolithically before him, extending her delicate hand toward him and pointing at the man. Next to her appears, also in full figure, Mary Magdalene, dressed in a velvet tunic and a golden cloak, her blond hair tied back with a red ribbon, wearing Roman-inspired sandals, and holding the perfume jar that is her principal iconographic attribute. The figure of the Virgin is further highlighted by the diffuse light surrounding her head, making her stand out in the composition. In the background, the space opens onto a second room where we can see arches, an entablature, and three pilasters. In Maíno’s painting, the arch on the left side appears complete and has a distinct pointed shape.
The Madrid school emerged around the court of Philip IV first and then Charles II, and flourished throughout the 17th century. Scholars of this school have consistently viewed its development as a result of the court’s unifying power; what is truly decisive is not the place of birth of the various artists, but the fact that they were educated and worked among and for a noble and religious clientele based alongside the royal family. This allowed for and fostered stylistic unity, even though logical divergences due to the personalities of the members are evident. At its origins, the Madrid School is thus linked to the accession to the throne of Philip IV, monarch