Spanish or Novo-Hispanic school; end of the 17th century.

Spanish or Novo-Hispanic school; end of the XVII century.
"Virgin Bethlehem".
Oil on canvas. Relined.
Measurements: 42 x 34 cm; 58 x 49,5 cm (frame).
Devotional image in which the Virgin Mary is presented with the Child in her arms, both embracing and looking directly at the viewer, the Child turning his face to do so, since he appears from behind. The two figures are adorned with rich royal crowns of gold, worked in great detail and decorated with two-headed eagles and cabochons of precious stones. The figures are placed in the foreground, half-bodied, on a neutral and dark background on which stand out corporeal, worked with great illusionism. Formally, the delicate work of the faces stands out, with flesh tones rendered in cold tones, their features rendered with a precise and smooth brushstroke, of Flemish heritage, which contrasts with the looser brushstroke in other areas such as the crowns or Mary's jewelry, more typical of the Hispanic Baroque.