Maria Immaculata by Sassoferrato (Giovanni Battista Salvi)

Maria Immaculata Possibly 1640 - 1660

sassoferratogiovannibattistasalvi

stadelmuseum

oil, canvas

woman

baroque

oil

canvas

portrait reference

portrait head and shoulder

animal portrait

animal drawing portrait

14_17th-century

portrait drawing

facial portrait

portrait art

fine art portrait

celebrity portrait

digital portrait

This painting, *Maria Immaculata*, by Italian artist Sassoferrato (Giovanni Battista Salvi) is a prime example of the Baroque period's embrace of religious imagery. Dating back to the 1640s or 1660s, the painting depicts the Virgin Mary, clad in a blue robe and a yellow veil, her eyes raised in prayer. The soft lighting and gentle expression of Mary convey a sense of serenity and devotion, highlighting the Immaculate Conception doctrine of the Catholic Church. The work is currently on display at the Städel Museum.

Comments

stadelmuseum over 1 year ago

⋮

Following restoration, Sassoferrato’s painting appears in a (likewise restored) seventeenth-century Italian frame and, once again, all its chromatic splendour. Previously thought to be a copy, the work has now proven to be among the best of the several surviving versions of the motif. The image of a Virgin Mary gazing wistfully heavenwards is based on a pictorial invention by Guido Reni. Sassoferrato frequently adopted compositions by artists he emulated and modified them in myriad ways. This painting is an isolated and abbreviated version of a full-length figure of the “Maria Immaculata” – the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception.