Virgin and Child with Souls in Purgatory 1650

Luca Giordano painted "Virgin and Child with Souls in Purgatory", but we don't know the precise date, nor where it was originally displayed. The work enacts a well-worn visual and theological trope: Mary, accompanied by the infant Christ, is in the intermediate state of purgatory, interceding for the souls of the dead. Painted in Italy, perhaps Naples, in the late 17th century, the scene reflects Counter-Reformation beliefs about the importance of seeking divine assistance to shorten the stay in purgatory. The painting, though, is not merely illustrative. We can ask how and where it was displayed. Consider the social function this image might have served. Was it commissioned by a religious order keen to promote its charitable activities? Or was it for private devotion? An art historian might consult period documents, such as church records or personal diaries, to understand the painting’s place in the social fabric of its time. The meaning of art is always contingent on social and institutional context.