This piece is an oil painting on canvas that represents the Virgin and the Child dedicated to Our People’s Lady. The work was made by an anonymous artist and it follows an iconographic model inspired by the famous Byzantine icon kept in Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome: “Salus Populi Romani”.
The painting portrays Mary as a young woman, dressed in a pink tunic and a blue cloak with gold details. The Virgin holds her Son in her lap as she points with her right hand, using the traditional three-finger gesture. Meanwhile, Jesus is represented with a mature appearance unusual for his age, holding a book and in a gesture of blessing, also pointing with three fingers.
From a compositional point of view, the monumental nature of the figure of Mary is accentuated by the modulation of light cleverly introduced by the artist. The darkness of the lower section contrasts with the burst of glory in the upper section, which illuminates the haloed head of the Mother of God. Finally, several cherub heads emerge from the clouds, adding a heavenly touch to the scene.
Otherwise, the work was produced by some Neapolitan workshop specialising in the mass-produced manufacture of devotional items, intended mainly for religious institutions.
- Chamoso Lamas, M. y Casamar, M. (1980). Museo de Arte Sacro Clarisas de Monforte de Lemos. Madrid: Caja de Ahorros de Galicia.
- Sáez González, M. (2018). Coleccionismo y almoneda del gran Conde de Lemos, Don Pedro Fernández de Castro. Lugo: Diputación de Lugo.
