Turned to the left in a three-quarters view, the Virgin is depicted sitting on a throne of clouds resting on a crescent moon whose points face down. In her arms she holds the Christ child, who blesses the viewer with his right hand. The surrounding angels are arranged in a circular arch that also appears in other works by Maratti, such as his Immaculate Conception, after 1670 (Cybo chapel in the Roman church of Santa Maria del Popolo). There, the throne of clouds, golden background and supporting moon also resemble the Museo del Prado`s work.

The very straightforward composition is based on a print from around 1576-79, attributed to Agostino Carracci, which was, in turn, based on another by Domenico Tibaldi. The artist however, makes this very much his own work, imbuing it with a solemn, serene and very significant appearance by varying the Virgin`s gesture. Here she looks down at her son and seems more serious and concentrated than in the earlier works. Moreover, by colouring her tunic red, the scene foreshadows Christ`s Passion.

Carlo Maratti was the most important painter in Roman art circles during the second half of the seventeenth century. His patrons included popes and influential aristocratic families whose commissions have left outstanding examples of his work in numerous Italian cities. He also painted portraits of certain English aristocrats when they passed through Rome. Maratti was praised by the most renowned theorist of his time, Giovanni Pietro Bellori, and after his appointment as director of the Accademia di San Luca in 1664 he fought to defend painters and painting while exercising control over that period`s aesthetic guidelines. He is thus also a fundamental influence on Italian art from the periods immediately following his own.

A master of precision, Maratti is considered heir to the classical tradition of Raphael and the Carracci, which he learnt from his teacher Andrea Sacchi. The influence of other artists, including Guido Reni, Giovanni Lanfranco and Pietro da Cortona, led to Maratti`s unmistakable personal style, characterised by extraordinary virtuosity. His grand compositions, harmonious colours and elegant figures with delicate features, inspired by the statues of Antiquity, are free of the excessive sweetness visible in works by some of his imitators.

Maratti was especially well known for his depictions of the Virgin. This work from the Museo del Prado comes from the Spanish Royal Collection and was purchased from Maratti`s heirs in 1722, during the reign of Philip V. Its presence at the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso is documented from 1727, and in 1746 it was in the room where Mass was formerly celebrated. At the end of the eighteenth century, its presence in the third room next to the queen`s quarters is mentioned in various contemporaneous descriptions, including Antonio Ponz`s Viage de España (1787) and Antonio Conca`s Descrizione odeporica della Spagna (1793-97). Following the death of King Charles III, the 1794 inventory of his possessions attributes the painting to a disciple of Maratti, but when it entered the Royal Museum in 1857, it was considered a copy.

The museum`s 1872 catalogue lists it as by Maratti, head of a wide workshop that helped him with his numerous commissions. It has been on deposit to the nearby church of San Jerónimo el Real since 1881 (Albarrán, V.: Italian Masterpieces. From Spain`s Royal Court, Museo del Prado, 2014, p. 118).