18 - 18th-century South American school

18th-century South American school Crowned Virgin and Child, dressed in a cloak decorated with brocatado Oil and gold highlights on canvas 19.5 x 19.5 cm Important 18th-century Spanish (?) frame with an inverted profile, carved from wood, openwork, and gilded, featuring rich decoration of laurel tendrils, mascarons, and putti against a mirror-like background 61 x 61 cm Our painting is part of the tradition of Spanish-American colonial painting, which developed in the major artistic centers of the Spanish viceroyalties based on European models disseminated through painters, prints, and religious images. In Peru, particularly in Cuzco, these Spanish, Italian, and Flemish models were reinterpreted by local workshops, giving rise to an original aesthetic characterized by vibrant colors, frontal figures, and an abundance of gilded ornamentation. The depiction of the Virgin holds particular significance in this body of work. Andean workshops produced numerous Marian images intended for private devotion, often inspired by miraculous sculptures. The use of brocateado—the technique of applying gold leaf or gilded motifs to painted garments—is particularly characteristic of 18th-century Cuzco painting and accentuates the precious nature of the images. In our painting, the Virgin, depicted in full face and crowned, wears a sumptuous cloak featuring this decoration. The image thus combines the Spanish iconographic heritage with a particularly decorative and precious style characteristic of Andean painting. The work is set in an exceptional frame with an inverted profile, likely of Spanish origin, whose rich carved and openwork decoration—laurel wreaths, mascarons, putti, foliage, and mirrors—fully contributes to the solemn and precious character of this devotional image. Expert: Mégane OLLIVIER