This high-quality imitation depicts the Sevillian painter half-length in an oval frame and places the figure in an illusionist setting with trompe l’oeil effects.Tobar rendered portraits of important figures of the court within Isabella Farnese’s inner circle. These portraits were outstanding for their excellent treatment of expression and demonstrated the artist’s ability to capture expression in an energetic manner. He was then considered one of the best portraitists of that era in Seville. Up

This canvas depicts an uncommon manifestation of the Virgin Mary that became popular in eighteenth-century Andalusia. She is seated on a rock surrounded by her flock, holding a rose in her left hand and stroking one of the sheep, which has another rose in its mouth. Above her are angels among the clouds, while in the background the Archangel Michael descends with his sword to rescue a sheep from a wolf.