In this painting, the Virgin is seated on a stone bench and is, herself, serving as a throne for the Christ Child, who rests on her right leg. The Virgin and Child are slightly larger than life-size and fill a major portion of the painting´s surface, creating a sense of monumentality. Murillo has placed both figures before a dark background, using the contrast of light and shadow to model their features subtly and effectively. The neutral background and the technique of modelling endow the figures with a marked corporeality, emphasising their physical presence. Murillo represented the subject of the Virgin and Child in around 30 works - they are two figures he felt particularly comfortable depicting throughout his career. On occasion he would present the Virgin standing, as in Virgin and Christ Child in Glory 1673 (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), or, frequently, half-length, as in the famous Virgin and Child (also called Virgin of the napkin) 1665-66 (Museo de Bellas Artes de Sevilla). Most commonly, however, Murillo would depict them as they appear in this painting. Beginning with this general layout, presenting the Virgin frontally, seated and life-size, he would introduce variations. At times, he would represent her among the clouds, as in Virgin and Child 1660-80 (Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam). Often the inclusion of a rosary (as in Virgin of the Rosary 1650-55, P975) would allude to one of the most deeply rooted devotional practices in Spain. The present painting is distinguished from the majority of Murillo´s other depictions of this subject by two elements: the Virgin´s long hair is loose and falls below her shoulder; and the Christ Child is depicted seated, rather than standing as in the other versions cited above. The variation is subtle, but it affects the interpretation of the work - on the one hand, it creates a feeling of stasis; on the other, it is a more intimate image. Placing the Child in a standing position signifies an alteration of the natural order of things and emphasises the art work´s role as a presentation of Jesus, who typically becomes the central element of the composition. Other versions demonstrate Murillo´s mastery of balancing this formal presentation with intimate affect; the present depiction, however, places greater emphasis on the relationship between mother and child. The profusion of images of the Virgin and Child, particularly popular in Seville, provides eloquent testimony of the comfort and refuge that images of this most intimate and tender subject offered in the face of society´s unfavourable economic and social conditions. Barely 25 or 30 years before Murillo painted this particular image, the city had been devastated by a terrible epidemic of the plague that reduced the population by nearly half. This painting entered the Royal Collections during the reign of Charles IV, a period in which esteem for Murillo´s art grew in Spain. His popularity continued through the nineteenth century, as evinced by the use of his paintings as a source of technical and narrative inspiration by various artists, especially those from Seville. One who most reflects Murillo´s influence is Antonio María Esquivel, whose own Virgin and Child 1856 (P6218) demonstrates both his familiarity with the paintings of Murillo, as well as the desire to make such a connection explicit (Text drawn from Portús, J.: Portrait of Spain. Masterpieces from the Prado, Queensland Art Gallery-Art Exhibitions Australia, 2012, p. 250).