Bidspirit auction | Virgin and Child, European School,

Virgin and Child, European School, 20th Century. - Oil on canvas. Dimensions: 78 x 61 cm; 90 x 75 cm. An intimate devotional scene featuring the Virgin Mary holding the sleeping Christ Child on her lap, while the figure of Saint Joseph emerges discreetly in shadow in the background. The delicacy of the faces and the softness of the flesh tones contrast with the deep greens and ochres of the wooded landscape that frames the scene. The ample folds of the drapery create an undulating rhythm that envelops the figures and focuses attention on the maternal bond between mother and child. The silent and melancholic atmosphere is reinforced by the use of a soft, enveloping, Baroque-inspired lighting that models the forms with gentle transitions. The work reinterprets classical models of Western religious iconography, adapting them to a 20th-century pictorial sensibility, and is notable for its emotional and contemplative effect. (Final dimensions: 78 x 61 cm)