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428 - Virgin and Child Writing, Luis de Morales and his workshop (…
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Estimate €18,000 - €30,000
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Description
Virgin and Child Writing, Luis de Morales and his workshop (Badajoz, 1510–Alcántara, 1586), Extremadura School, 16th century Oil on panel. Dimensions 59 x 43 cm. An intimate devotional composition featuring the Virgin and Child, conceived in accordance with the refined models disseminated by Luis de Morales and his workshop. The Virgin is depicted in half-length, enveloped in a dark mantle that frames her delicate features and contemplative gaze, whilst she holds a small open book on which the Child writes with a quill pen. The Child’s gesture introduces a subtle symbolic meaning relating to divine Wisdom and the Incarnation of the Word, establishing a silent spiritual dialogue between the two figures. The composition stands out against a neutral background of intense darkness that draws all attention to the pearly flesh tones, the softly modelled profiles, and the extraordinary delicacy of the hands. The execution reveals a taste for polished surfaces, imperceptible transitions of light, and the meticulous rendering of drapery—characteristic features of Morales’s work. The elongated faces, the melancholic expression and the profound sense of contemplation are linked to the spirituality of 16th-century Spanish painting, closely tied to the ideals of inner meditation promoted by the Counter-Reformation. The work is fully integrated into the devotional tradition of Extremadura and constitutes a remarkable example of the dissemination of the models created by Luis de Morales, whose religious sensibility and technical refinement exerted a profound influence on Hispanic painting of his time.
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About the sale GRAND SUMMER AUCTION OF HAUTE ÉPOQUE AND PRIVATE COLLECTIONS
Auction location
Auction time 06/29/2026 at 4:00 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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