Spanish painter of the 17th century. Immaculata

The depiction of Mary as a girl standing on the crescent moon became a widespread and popular theme in the visual arts in Catholic countries in the 17th century. It symbolises the immaculate conception of Mary, meaning that she was born free of original sin. According to a vision of the Portuguese saint Beatrix da Silva from the 15th century, Mary appears in a white robe with a blue cloak. Images of the Immaculata flourished during the Baroque period, particularly in Spain, and numerous high-ranking artists devoted themselves to them. The most famous are the many paintings of the Immaculata by Jusepe de Ribera. The present painting is inspired by Ribera's art. Mary stands in a complex contrapposto on the crescent moon, her left leg turned to the left and raised corresponds to an opposite turn of the upper body to the other side and her arms raised in prayer, while her head is again lowered to the left in an expression of humility. Mary's long hair flows down over her shoulders. To the left and right of her head, three cherubim emerge from the clouds, illuminated by the glow of the halo. The gate at the bottom right of the cloud is a symbol of the Virgin Mary from the Litany of Lauretania, the Gate of Heaven. A painting by Mateo Cerezo (1637-1666) in the Hispanic Society of America in New York shows a very similar image. Oil on canvas, 115.5 × 81 cm