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13-06-2026
Pedro Machuca

Toledo, 1490 - Granada, 1550

See author's file

The Virgin and the Souls of Purgatory

1517. Oil on poplar panel.
Room 049

This work is a curious version of the Virgin of the Milk, a symbol of Mary’s compassion that serves, in this case, to comfort the souls in Purgatory. The subject, and especially its derivation here as The Virgin and the Souls of Purgatory -a mainly Italian avocation that is actually a Christianized version of the story of Juno and the Milky Way- was considered indecorous after the Counterreformation and was less frequently painted in the late 16th century.

This is the only signed work by Pedro Machuca, who dated it in 1517, just three years before returning to Spain. It is also the first known painting by this architect and painter who learned his trade in the circles of two of the greatest Renaissance painters: Raphael and Michelangelo. Machuca has been identified as the Petro Spagnolo mentioned by Michelangelo in a letter dated 1515, and his training in the Urbino workshop seems to be proven. There, he would have taken part in several of his teachers’s decorative projects in 1515 and 1516. Machuca’s presence has been attributed, precisely, on the basis of the stylistic proximity of this Virgin and the Souls of Purgatory. While Italian innovations reached Spain mainly by indirect means -mostly through prints- Machuca represents direct contact with the two principle sources of creation in Renaissance, without ignoring the provincial contributions of other painters who arrived in Rome in the early 16th century. Along with the chosen subject, both the pictorial technique and the powerful drawing and perception of color reveal the variety of stimuli that this artist from Toledo received during his years in Italy. Michelangelo’s influence is visible in his powerful contraposto of Mary, which is very close in form to the sibyls at the Sistine Chapel. His choice of colors reflects the same influence, although it is nuanced by his contact with Raphael. The composition also reflects Michelangelo’s influence, with an interest in blurred chiaroscuros and a concern for nocturnal effects visible in the souls in Purgatory. Other influences have been detected in the expressivity of the faces of the angels and of the figures in Purgatory, which have been linked to both Leonardo da Vinci and Rosso or Beccafumi.

This painting was acquired by the Spanish government in 1935 after it appeared in Spoleto, in the region of Perugia (Text drawn from Ruiz, L.: El Greco y la pintura española del Renacimiento. Guía, Museo del Prado, 2001, p. 38).

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Technical data

Imagen del carrusel
Imagen del carrusel
Inventory number
P002579
Author
Pedro Machuca
Title
The Virgin and the Souls of Purgatory
Date
1517
Technique
Oil
Support
Poplar panel
Dimension
Height: 167 cm; Depth: 3.2 cm; Width: 135 cm
Provenance
Pompei Collection, Spoleto, Italy, 1935.
Entry date
1935

Bibliography +

Davies, D., Paintings and Drawings on the Backs of National Gallery Pict..., The Trustees, 1946, pp. lám 13.

Trens, Manuel, María: iconografía de la Virgen en el arte español, Plus-Ultra, Madrid, 1946, pp. 479/ lám.286.

Post, Chandler Rathfon, A History of Spanish Painting T.X The Early Renaissance in Andalusia, X, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1950, pp. 263.

Longhi, R, Comprimari spagnoli della maniera italiana, Paragone, 43, 1953, pp. 3-15.

Gudiol Ricart, José, Pintura gótica, Ars hispaniae: historia universal del arte hispánico IX, Madrid, 1955, pp. 225/ lám.234.

Griseri, Andreina, Perino, Machuca, Campaña, Paragone, 87, 1957, pp. 13-21.

Carlos V y su ambiente: exposición-homenaje en el IV Centenario de su muerte (1558-1958), Ministerio de Educación Nacional, Toledo, 1958, pp. 86.

Griseri, Andreina, Nuove schede di manierismo iberico, Paragone, 113, 1959, pp. 33-70.

Gonçalves, Flavio, Os painéis do Purgatório e as origens das 'alminhas' populares, Boletim da biblioteca pública municipal de Matosinhos, 6, 1959, pp. 1-37.

Griseri, Andreina, Berruguete e Machuca dopo il viaggio italiano, Paragone, 179, 1964, pp. 3-19 [17].

Sricchia Santoro, Fiorella., Classicismo e Manierismo enl Nord. SStoria de la Pittura, Vol.XI., Fratelli Fabbri editori, Milan, 1966.

Longhi, Roberto, Ancora sul Machuca, Paragone, 231, 1969, pp. 34-39.

Post, Chandler Rathfon, A History of Spanish Painting, Harvard University Press, Cambridge. Nueva York, 1970, pp. 263/ lám.97.

Santa Teresa y su tiempo, Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia, Madrid, 1970, pp. 110.

Sánchez Cantón, Francisco Javier, Museo del Prado. Catálogo de las pinturas, Museo del Prado, Madrid, 1972.

Kalby, Luigi G., L' arrivo della maniera a Napoli e Agostino Tesauro, Bollettino di storia dell' arte del centro studi per i nuclei antichi e documenti artistici della Campania meridionale., 1, 1973.

Dacos, Nicole, Le Logge Di Raffaello: Maestro e Bottega Di Fronte All'Antico, Istituto Poligrafico Dello Stato, Roma, 1977, pp. 113.

Buendía, R., 'La pintura española del siglo XVI". En: Historia del Arte Hispánico vol III. El Renacimiento, Alhambra, Madrid, 1978, pp. 197-302 [253].

Previtali, Giovanni, La pittura del Cinquecento a Napoli en el vicereame, Einaudi, Turin, 1978, pp. il.24,25.

Longhi, Roberto, Edizione delle Opere Complete di Roberto Longhi., Sansoni, Florencia, 1979, pp. lám.94.

Gómez-Moreno, Manuel, Las Aguilas del Renacimiento Español. Bartolome Ordoñez, Diego de Siloé, Pedro Machuca, Xarait Ediciones,, 1983, pp. 100.

Dacos, Nicole, 'Pedro Machuca en Italie' En: Scritti di storia dell' arte in onore di Federico Zeri, II, Electa,, Milan, 1984, pp. 332-361 [332-337].

Cannata, R., Aspetti Dell'Arte a Roma Prima e Dopo Raffaello, De Luca Editore, Roma, 1984, pp. 127/ lám.46.

Museo Nacional del Prado, Catálogo de las pinturas, Museo del Prado, Madrid, 1985, pp. 382.

Giusti, Paola, Forastieri e Regnicoli. La Pittura Moderna a Napoli Nel Prim, Elcta, Nápoles, 1985, pp. 43.

Abbate, Francesco, Andrea Sabatini. Trittico. 1519. In, Andrea Da Salerno Nel Rinascimento Meridionale, Centro Di, 1986, pp. 140-141.

Dacos, Nicole, Pedro Machuca. In, Andrea Da Salerno Nel Rinascimento Meridionale, Centro Di, 1986, pp. 248-249.

D' Aniello, Antonia, Agostino Tesauro. Madonna delle Grazie fra Sant' Andrea e Santa Luzia post dicembre 1517. In, Andrea Da Salerno Nel Rinascimento Meridionale, Centro Di, 1986, pp. 140-141.

Giusti, P., Pittura del Cinquecento a Napoli. 1510-1540 Forastieri e Regnicoli, Electa Napoli, Napoles, 1988, pp. 36-37,43 il.31.

Brown, Jonathan, La Edad de Oro de la pintura en España, Nerea, Madrid, 1990, pp. 34/ lám.31.

Scaramella, Pierroberto, Le madonne del Purgatorio: iconografia e religioni in Campania tra rinascimento e controriforma, Marietti, Genoa, 1991.

Cassani, Silvia, Pedro Machuca a Napoli : due nuovi dipinti per il Museo di Capodimonti, Electa Napoli, Napoli, 1992.

Marías, Fernando, El siglo XVI: gótico y renacimiento, Introducción al Arte Español, Madrid, 1992, pp. 104.

Museo Nacional del Prado, Museo del Prado. Inventario general de pinturas (III). Nuevas Adquisiciones. Museo Iconográfico. Tapices., Museo del Prado, Espasa Calpe, Madrid, 1996, pp. nº1677.

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Portús Pérez, Javier, La colección de pintura española en el Museo del Prado, Edilupa, Madrid, 2003, pp. 182.

Burg, Tobias, Die signatur. Formen und Funktionen vom Mittelalter bis zum 17. Jahrundert,, Verlag, Berlin, 2007, pp. 321-322.

Avila, Ana, La Virgen con el Niño y las almas del Purgatorio de Pedro Machuca y su vinculación italiana., Archivo español de arte, LXXXV, 2012, pp. 125-146.

Bisceglia, Anna, 'Pedro Machuca: Madonna del Suffragio' En:, Norma e capriccio. Spagnoli in Italia agli esordi della 'maniera moderna', Giunti, Firenze musei, Firenze, 2013, pp. 294-295, n. V.2.

Agosti, Barbara, 'Artisti spagnoli e fonti italiane ' En:, Norma e capriccio. Spagnoli in Italia agli esordi della 'maniera moderna', Giunti, Firenze musei, Firenze, 2013, pp. 156-167 [165-166].

Bisceglia, Anna, Roma e gli spagnoli agli inizi del Cinquecento: La Sistina, Raffaello, le logge vaticane, Norma e capriccio. Spagnoli in Italia agli esordi della 'maniera moderna', Giunti, Firenze musei, Firenze, 2013, pp. 106-119 [112-117].

Olszewski, Edward J., Parmigianino's Madonna of the long neck., American Philosophical Society, 2014, pp. 148 fg.4.30.

Leone de Castris, Pierluigi, Andrea Sabatini da Salerno: il Raffaello di Napoli /, Arte'm,, 2017, pp. 113-115.

Leone de Castris, Pierluigi, Su Machuca e Raffaello, tra Roma e l' Italia meridionale, Confronto, 1, 2018, pp. 72-87.

Campos Pallarés, Liliana, Pedro Machuca en Italia y en España: su presencia y huella en la pintura granadina del Quinientos, Editorial Universidad de Jaén,, 2021, pp. 115-118 nº.6.

Molina Figueras, Joan, 'Pedro Machuca. La Virgen de las ánimas del Purgatorio', Otro Renacimiento: artistas españoles en Nápoles a comienzos del Cinquecento, Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid, 2022, pp. 256-258 nº 44.

Molina Figueras, Joan, 'Pedro Machuca. Madonna delle Grazie con le anime del Purgatorio ( Madonna del Suffragio)', Gli Spagnoli a Napoli: il Rinascimento meridionale, Arte'm,, 2023, pp. 262-264 nº37.

Other inventories +

Inv. Nuevas Adquisiciones (iniciado en 1856). Núm. 1677.
Autor, Machuca. / 1677. Asunto, la virgen y las animas del purgatorio. / Tabla, 167 x 135 cm. / Nº catalogo, 2579. Adquirido en 1935 con cargo a la subvención.

Inscriptions +

huella dactilar
Front, upper area

PETRVS · MACHVCA ·/ · ISPANVS · TOLETANVS · / · FACIEBAT · / · A · D · M · CCCCCXVII
Signed and dated. Back, central area

Exhibitions +

La scoperta del Rinascimento. Artisti spagnoli a Napoli nel primo Cinquecento
Nápoles
09.03.2023 - 25.06.2023

Otro Renacimiento. Artistas españoles en Nápoles a comienzos del Cinquecento
09.03.2023 - 25.06.2023

The other Renaissance. Spanish Artists in Naples in the early Cinquecento
Madrid
18.10.2022 - 29.01.2023

Norma e capriccio: spagnoli in Italia agli esordi della Maniera moderna
Florencia
05.03.2013 - 26.05.2013

Location +

Room 049 (On Display)

Expuesto
Update date: 13-06-2026 | Registry created on 28-04-2015

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