The Education of the Virgin, Circle/Folower of Juan Carreño De Miranda (Spanish, 1614–1685), Late 17th Century.

Details

Description

This large-scale devotional composition depicts **Saint Anne**, seated and dressed in a blue-green mantle over a dark robe with an … Read more This large-scale devotional composition depicts **Saint Anne**, seated and dressed in a blue-green mantle over a dark robe with an orange-red skirt, teaching the young **Virgin Mary** to read from an open book held between them. The child Mary, portrayed as a girl of approximately 8–10 years, stands affectionately embraced by her mother, wearing a blue dress with white collar and an orange skirt. Both figures gaze upward in serene contemplation, with subtle halos implied by the soft lighting around their heads.

The architectural setting includes a classical column on the left, partially framed by heavy red drapery drawn back like a curtain, opening to a pale sky and distant landscape. The intimate, tender interaction between mother and daughter emphasises themes of maternal instruction and piety, a popular Counter-Reformation subject symbolising the early education of the Virgin in Scripture.

**Attribution Rationale:**
The composition closely follows the iconographic tradition of *"Saint Anne Teaching the Virgin to Read"*, a motif widely depicted in Spanish Baroque art. Key stylistic features — the dramatic yet controlled lighting from the left highlighting faces and hands, the rich colour palette dominated by deep blues, warm oranges, and reds, the loose yet confident brushwork in draperies, and the realistic yet idealised facial types — strongly align with the manner of **Juan Carreño de Miranda**.

A near-identical composition by Carreño de Miranda is documented in the Museo Nacional del Prado (Inv. P00286), featuring the same poses, drapery arrangement, red curtain, Solomonic column, and overall serenity. The present work shares the master's characteristic broad, fluid strokes and emotional restraint, but exhibits slightly less refinement in modelling and anatomical precision (particularly evident in the child's face and hands, which appear somewhat simplified and sweeter).

These qualities suggest execution by a talented follower or workshop assistant in Carreño's circle, rather than the master himself. The softer, more sentimental treatment of the young Virgin's features and minor proportional inconsistencies support an attribution to the **circle of Carreño de Miranda**, likely produced in his Madrid studio during the late 17th century.

**Provenance:**
Formerly in a European private collection; acquired on the Vienna antiques market (Austria). The object has been in Europe for several decades.

**Comparative Works:**
- Juan Carreño de Miranda, *Saint Anne Teaching the Virgin to Read* (Museo del Prado, Madrid) – direct compositional prototype.
- Similar themes by contemporaries such as Bartolomé Esteban Murillo and Pedro de Roelas, but lacking Carreño's distinctive chiaroscuro and colour harmony.

This painting represents an attractive example of Spanish Baroque religious art, suitable for collectors of Old Master devotional works. See less