18th Century Spanish Old Master Oil Painting of the Madonna Virgin Mary

18th Century Spanish Old Master Oil Painting of the Madonna Virgin Mary - Image 2

18th Century Spanish Old Master Oil Painting of the Madonna Virgin Mary - Image 3

18th Century Spanish Old Master Oil Painting of the Madonna Virgin Mary

Name: 18th Century Spanish Old Master Oil Painting of the Madonna Virgin Mary
SKU: LU509318700272
Price: 3450.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

£3,450.00

1 in stock

SKU: LU509318700272 Category: Old Masters Tags: 18th century, Madonna, Old Masters, Spanish School, Virgin Mary

18th Century Spanish Old Master Oil Painting of the Madonna

By Spanish School, 18th century

Medium: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 17 x 12.5 inches, canvas dimensions.

Frame: Presented in a substantial, carved and moulded dark wooden frame with decorative geometric detailing.

Provenance: An old label to the reverse identifies J. H. Steer, Picture Framing & Mounting Specialist, 1 Ridgmount Street, London WC1.

Description: A beautiful and deeply contemplative 18th-century Spanish School oil painting depicting the Virgin Mary, or Madonna, in a moment of quiet reflection.

The Virgin is portrayed with her head gently inclined and her eyes lowered, her expression conveying a profound sense of tenderness, humility and spiritual devotion. She wears a softly draped white veil over richly coloured garments of crimson, deep green and turquoise blue, with a golden-yellow mantle falling across her shoulder.

The artist has employed a particularly harmonious palette, setting the Madonna’s delicately modelled features and richly coloured robes against a luminous golden-ochre background. The subtle treatment of light and shadow lends the composition a wonderful sense of depth and intimacy, while the finely observed folds of the drapery demonstrate an accomplished understanding of traditional religious painting.

Of particular interest is the Madonna’s gesture, as she gently holds a length of pale fabric in her hands. This quiet domestic detail introduces a touching sense of humanity to the sacred subject, reflecting the tradition of devotional imagery intended to encourage private prayer and contemplation.

The composition displays characteristics associated with Spanish Baroque religious painting, particularly in its emotional restraint, expressive facial features, rich colouring and emphasis on the spiritual presence of the Virgin. The painting is housed in an impressive dark wooden frame, with deeply moulded architectural profiles and decorative geometric ornamentation.

The frame provides a handsome contrast to the warm colours of the painting and complements its Old Master character.

An evocative example of traditional European devotional art, particularly suited to a country house interior, private chapel or collection of Old Master and religious paintings.

Historical context :

Religious painting occupied a central position in Spanish art throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, with representations of the Virgin Mary among the most important and enduring subjects.

Artists working in the Spanish Baroque tradition developed a distinctive approach to devotional imagery, combining naturalistic observation with rich colour, expressive gestures and carefully controlled lighting.

The influence of earlier masters, including Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1617–1682) and Francisco de Zurbarán (1598–1664), continued to shape Spanish religious painting well into the 18th century.

Images of the Madonna were particularly valued for their ability to communicate tenderness, maternal compassion and spiritual contemplation.

Such works were produced for churches, religious institutions and private domestic settings.

This painting belongs to that wider tradition of Marian devotional imagery, presenting the Virgin in an intimate and contemplative manner.