An extremely broad development certainly makes this one of the most ambitious and complex depictions of the Immaculate Conception ever painted in Madrid, as well as one of the finest by this painter. In an iconographic sense, it closely follows the traditional model for this subject, presenting the Virgin as the Woman of the Apocalypse (chap. XII, 1).Upright and walking on the lunar globe, crowned
The baton in the sitter’s right hand and the cannon indicate that he is an artillery general, while the insignia hanging from his neck denotes his membership of the Order of Calatrava. Stylistically this canvas is clearly indebted to the work of Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641).
This painting presents the moment when the Archangel Gabriel, holding a spray of lilies, appears to the Virgin Mary and announces that she will give birth to the Son of God. Mary is depicted kneeling at prayer before an open book resting on a table, at the foot of which sits a sewing basket that alludes to the domestic seclusion in which she lived. The Annunciation proved to be one of the most pop
The impetus of the dashing, powerful and monumental angel comes from Ribera. The conception of space and of the sky, with clouds that grow denser in the area just over the luminous horizon, seeks an effect of mass, and of notable solemnity and force. Behind the balustrade, a rose bush silhouetted by the light behind it stands out as a symbol of the Virgin Mary. The meticulously detailed carpet, wi
Judging by its vibrant, luminous dabs of paint, its loose and violent brushstrokes, and the tension in their positions, this work – along with Saint Agnes (P007637) and two other paintings, Saint Catherine and Saint Augustine, now in the Museo Lázaro Galdiano – had been attributed to Valdés Leal, a painter from Seville, up until 1944 when Angulo Íñiguez attributed them
Judging by its vibrant, luminous dabs of paint, its loose and violent brushstrokes, and the tension in their positions, this work – along with Saint Anthony Abbot (P007636) and two other paintings, Saint Catherine and Saint Augustine, in the Museo Lázaro Galdiano – had been attributed to Valdés Leal, a painter from Seville, up until 1944 when Angulo Íñiguez attributed t
These two canvases (The Adoration of the Magi, P1129 and The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, P1130) were part of a small altar piece in the convent of Los Angéles in Madrid, a work that also included The Annunciation (P1128). The present canvases are typical of the mature style of this artist, who made masterly use of a range of warm colours applied with an extremely free brushstroke i
These two canvases (The Adoration of the Magi, P1129 and The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, P1130) were part of a small altar piece in the convent of Los Angéles in Madrid, a work that also included The Annunciation (P1128). The present canvases are typical of the mature style of this artist, who made masterly use of a range of warm colours applied with an extremely free brushstroke i
Rizi frequently depicted the subject of the Adoration of the Shepherds. In this version he emphasizes the contrast between the Holy Family and the shepherds who have come to worship the Christ Child. The lively, naturalistic depiction of the shepherds is offset by the serenity of the holy figures, depicted in a traditionally idealised manner.
In this canvas, the painter has depicted Saint Agatha, monumentalised and sensual, full-length, standing and slightly turned to her right. The young woman, dressed in a luxurious old-fashioned garment that exposes part of her breast, covers one of her breasts with her right hand – an allusion to her main attribute – while her left hand rests on a console table, holding the palm of martyrdom. In ra
A large auto-da-fé took place in Madrid on 30 June 1680 in the Plaza Mayor, presided over by the young Charles II (reigned 1665-1700) and his mother, Mariana of Austria, who are shown here beneath a canopy. Organised by the Inquisition, autos-da-fé were public ceremonies involving prisoners condemned for crimes against religion. Rizi’s canvas is the finest and most detailed depiction
Mary Magdalen is depicted in the centre of the composition. She is kneeling in left profile before a wooden crucifix tied to the branches of a tree. She holds disciplinary scourges in her right hand, while in her left hand, she holds a cloth to cover her naked figure. To the right of the composition, demons flee from the scene. In the foreground, three cherubim hold the iconographic symbols that i
The saint appears kneeling on steps. His right hand seems to adopt the gesture of holding the Rosary offered by the Virgin, whose outline is merely sketched on the left side of the composition. In front of the figure of the saint, three cherubim play with the black and white dog that symbolises the Dominican Order with the orb and the torch. It appears to be a preparatory study for a large format