Alonso Cano, 'The Immaculate Conception', about 1628
About the work
Overview
The Virgin Mary, crowned with stars and standing on the moon, is surrounded by her attributes, which include a temple, fountain, and walled garden. Bowing her head, she presses her fingers together in prayer, eyes half-closed. All around, cherubs swirl in the clouds as a wash of light emanates from the Virgin Immaculate.
Cano made this painting for the church of San Alberto in Seville in the late 1620s, where it was placed in the centre of the second tier of an altarpiece, above Christ bearing the Cross (Worcester Art Museum) and flanked by representations of saints, including Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi (Museo de Bellas Artes, Seville).
Rediscovered in recent years, this remarkable painting is a testament to Cano’s study with Francisco Pacheco, who set down enduring standards for the iconography of the Immaculate Conception. Like his contemporary, Diego Velázquez, who also apprenticed with Pacheco, Cano adhered to his teacher’s precepts but painted with far greater naturalism, joining the scrupulous observation of lived reality with the religious symbolism of the Catholic Church.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- The Immaculate Conception
- Artist
- Alonso Cano
- Artist dates
- 1601 - 1667
- Date made
- about 1628
- Medium and support
- Oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 148.7 × 96 cm
- Acquisition credit
- On loan from a private collection
- Inventory number
- L1342
- Location
- Room 30
- Image copyright
- On loan from a private collection, © Private collection
- Collection
- Main Collection
About this record
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