Follower of LEONARDO DA VICNI; Late 16th - early 17th century.
Untitled.
Oil on canvas. Antique re-colouring.
Slight repainting.
Measurements: 65 x 54 cm.
In this scene of religious character the author presents the Virgin with the Child and San Juanito that melt in a tender embrace, giving each other a kiss. The Virgin wraps her hands around the two little ones in such a way that the work stands out for the intimacy created by showing a family presented in a warm way, although it is worth mentioning that the Virgin does not look at the little ones but directs her gaze to an indeterminate point, showing in her face a certain doubt that may foresee the future of both Saint John and the little Jesus.
Formally, the scene is in keeping with academicism, and therefore follows classical rules, the first of which is its high technical quality. Thus, the drawing is rigorous and firm, with great anatomical perfection. Academicism is a direct legacy of classicism, hence the predilection for themes such as the one presented here, taken from mythology, although captured from a sensual and decorative point of view far removed from the solemnity of ancient classical art. This also explains his approach to the subject. Nevertheless, we can appreciate an ideal of beauty that is not based on reality, although the painter's study of nature is undeniable, but rather an idealism based on reality through his sum of experience, that is to say, an aesthetic sublimation that reflects a beauty that transcends reality. Due to its formal and technical characteristics, this work can also be related to the circle of Leonardo da Vinci.