Attributed to Cristóbal de Villalpando (Mexico City?, 1649 - Mexico, 1714)

Attributed to Cristóbal de Villalpando (Mexico City?, 1649 - Mexico, 1714) "Educationof theVirgin" Oil on canvas. 249 x 180 cm. Cristóbal de Villalpando, along with Juan Correa, was the most important artist in New Spain in the last quarter of the 17th century. He undertook two of the most significant artistic ensembles: the large allegorical canvases in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico City and in the Cathedral of Puebla, where he even painted the dome. His style is very distinctive, combining an acidic and iridescent colour palette with almost metallic tones, with highly agitated folds in garments and flesh tones with bluish highlights, all imbued with a Mannerist spirit that coincidentally recalls artists from Northern Europe. His compositions are inspired by eclectic sources in line with his iconographic intention, such as prints by Rubens and Baroque models from the Iberian Peninsula, such as Carreño de Miranda and Francisco Rizzi, from whom he even created a version of a famous Immaculate Conception, adopting the rich and vibrant colour palette.