Anonimo, Spanish School, Virgin and Child, 1680, Oil on Canvas, Framed

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Spanish School; 17th Century.

“Our Lady of Valvanera”.

Oil on canvas. Relined.

Has a 19th-century frame with some damage.

Dimensions: … Read more Spanish School; 17th Century.

“Our Lady of Valvanera”.

Oil on canvas. Relined.

Has a 19th-century frame with some damage.

Dimensions: 103 x 79 cm; 117 x 92 cm (framed).

Our Lady of Valvanera is a Marian devotion from the Sierra de la Demanda mountain range in La Rioja, Spain, of which she is the patron saint and one of the seven patron saints of the autonomous communities of Spain. The appearance of the image is recounted in the Latin History, written in 1419 by Rodrigo de Castroviejo, Abbot of Valvanera, as a translation of a 12th-century Latin text probably written by Gonzalo de Berceo. It tells how the thief Nuño Oñez, upon hearing the prayer of his intended victim, repented of his crimes and entrusted himself to the Virgin Mary to help him change his life. One day, during his prayers, an angel appeared to him, instructing him to go to Valvanera in search of an oak tree that stood out from the others, at whose base flowed a spring containing several swarms of bees, where he would find an image of the Virgin Mary. He went to that place with the cleric Domingo and found the image. There, in the last third of the 9th century, they began to build a place of worship dedicated to the Virgin. In this work, the artist depicts the moment when the Virgin's image appeared, arranging the main figures—the Virgin and the Nile in her arms—on a pedestal and within a tree trunk. Inside, several bees can be seen fluttering near the faces of the Virgin and Child. On this kind of natural throne, the base is flanked on one side by the spring mentioned in the legend, while on the other side, a small open chest filled with jewels can be seen. On the sides of the trunk, a landscape can be seen in the distance, on the side of which are two figures: an angel and a seated young man who receives the Angel's warning. This piece has an attribution mark,
I am sure that it is completely authentic and take full responsibility for any authenticity
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