The Attributes of the Virgin
Ca. 1778. Oil on canvas.Not on display
These are sketches for the frescoes adorning the main altar of the chapel in the Palace of Aranjuez. The brilliant, highly detailed technique reveals the lingering influence of the Italian, Corrado Giaquinto. Angels bear symbols which allude to the purity of the Virgin: the mirror without blemish reflecting eternal light, and a bunch of white lilies and an open oyster with a pearl as symbols of the Immaculate Conception.