598 - Virgin and Child. New Spanish School. 18th century

Virgin and Child. New Spanish School. 18th century Oil on canvas. The painting captures a devotional depiction of the Virgin Mary holding the Child Jesus in a tender and protective attitude. Both faces appear delicately close, with expressions of idealized serenity and an almost porcelain-like softness. The Virgin, with long hair and a pearly white cloak, bears a heraldic shield on her chest that links her to religious orders, possibly the Discalced Carmelites. The Child, naked and reclining on his mother's lap, extends his hand toward his mother's face. The dark background and golden halo enhance the sacred character of the image, inspired by colonial Mexican Marian iconography. The composition reveals the influence of 17th-century Sevillian painting, especially by Murillo, transferred to the viceregal setting with Andean features. The delicacy of the chiaroscuro, the meticulous workmanship of the face and hands, and the emotional idealization that characterizes the 18th-century New Spain school are notable. Signed. Measurements: 95 x 87 cm (without frame), 118 x 108 cm (with frame).