Artwork
La Virgen con santos y ángeles
La Virgen con santos y ángeles is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Pedro Atanasio Bocanegra. It dates from 1601 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Overview
This oil painting, titled La Virgen con santos y ángeles, was created by Pedro Atanasio Bocanegra in 1601. It presents a religious scene centered on the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus. The work is currently housed in the collection of the Museo del Prado, where it represents an example of early 17th-century Spanish religious art.
Subject & Meaning
The composition features the Virgin Mary cradling the infant Jesus, encircled by a gathering of female saints and celestial beings.
The composition features the Virgin Mary cradling the infant Jesus, encircled by a gathering of female saints and celestial beings. Among the identifiable figures are Saint Agnes of Rome and Saint Catherine of Alexandria, both depicted with reverence. A palm frond, held by one of the women in the foreground, serves as a traditional symbol of martyrdom, underscoring themes of devotion and sacrifice within the sacred narrative.
Technique & Style
Bocanegra utilized oil paint to render the scene, allowing for rich color and subtle gradations of light and shadow. The background, characterized by a cloudy sky, contributes to an ethereal atmosphere, emphasizing the divine presence. The interplay of light and dark, a technique known as chiaroscuro, would have been employed to model figures and create dramatic depth, enhancing the spiritual intensity of the depiction.
History & Provenance
Created in the early years of the 17th century, La Virgen con santos y ángeles has become part of a significant public collection. The painting is preserved at the Museo del Prado, a prominent institution for European art. Its presence there allows for continued study of Bocanegra's contribution to Spanish Baroque painting and the broader context of religious art from the period.
Artist & collection
Artist
Pedro Atanasio Bocanegra (1638–1689) was an artist, born in Granada.
