Italian school; XVIII century.

Italian school; XVIII century.
"Immaculate with Child".
Oil on canvas.
Presents flaws and perforation in the pictorial surface.
It conserves frame of epoch.
Measurements: 30 x 21 cm; 48 x 38 cm (frame).
This oil on canvas, attributed to the Italian School of the XVIII century, represents a scene of deep symbolic and devotional load: the Immaculate Conception with the Child Jesus. The Virgin Mary is the central figure, represented with a deep blue mantle and a white tunic, traditional colors that evoke purity and royalty. Her pose, with her hands clasped in an attitude of prayer and her gaze elevated, suggests a heavenly connection and a pious disposition. Her head is surrounded by a subtle halo of stars, an allusion to her status as Queen of Heaven.
At her feet, the figure of a dragon of greenish hues and sharp scales writhes in defeat. This beast symbolizes evil, the original sin conquered by the Virgin, in accordance with the iconography of the Immaculate according to the Apocalypse (12:1), where the woman clothed with the sun is mentioned crushing the head of the serpent.
In a significant detail, the Child Jesus, dressed only in a red cloth, is on Mary's knees. With a serene expression and innocent gesture, he holds a golden spear with which he seems to strike or pierce the dragon's head, emphasizing the idea of victory over evil. The interaction between the two reinforces the maternal and divine relationship of the Virgin with her son.
The work shows typical characteristics of late Baroque art, with a dramatism expressed through the use of chiaroscuro and chromatic hallmarks. The detailed brushstrokes on the faces and the texture of the canvasses show a refined technique, typical of the Italian pictorial tradition of the eighteenth century. The bright colors and the arrangement of the figures generate a dynamic composition, while the neutral background, with golden hues and ethereal clouds, frames the scene in a heavenly manner.
The Immaculate Conception motif was widely promoted in European art, especially in Italy and Spain, during the 17th and 18th centuries, in response to the consolidation of Marian dogma. This painting not only exalts Mary's purity, but also emphasizes her role in human redemption by holding the Christ Child as a symbol of salvation.