Spanish school; second half of the 18th century.
"The Coronation of the Virgin".
Oil on canvas.
It presents chips and puncture.
Measures: 22 x 14 cm; 30.5 x 23 cm (frame).
In this work Mary is represented in the center, thus establishing herself as the axis of symmetry of the composition. She is crowned by God the Father, on the right, and Jesus Christ, on the left. On the crown placed above her head flies the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, the bird seen from the front in a foreshortened view. The composition, strictly symmetrical without losing naturalism or a certain contained dynamism that already reveals the baroque taste, is completed with the presence of five angels, located on the sides of the Virgin, and three heads of little angels under her feet. It is a piece where conceptualism predominates over naturalism, and hence the space is undefined, simply a golden background of Glory from which delicate clouds emerge, which open in the upper center to give way to the Holy Spirit. The lighting is also typically mannerist: a dramatic, fanciful and artificial light, which multiplies its spotlights and creates delicate nuances that model the volumes, and deep shadows that serve to highlight the central position of Mary. In addition, the author has made a careful study of postures and gestures, individualizing each character and looking for eloquence and expression. At the same time, the gazes of the angels, the Virgin, Jesus and God the Father establish a complex closed dialogue, typical of an era in which painters liked to multiply the readings and meanings of their works, making them almost enigmas. In turn, the Virgin keeps her gaze high, also directed to God, in her role as mediator between humanity and the Kingdom of Heaven.