Italian school (XVIII) - Ex voto con miracolo della Vergine e Bambino

Ex voto for a grace received

Italian popular painter, 18th century

“Ex voto with virgin and Child miracle”

1775
Oil on canvas
Inscription at bottom: «EX VOTO, 1775»

Measurements: 59 x 46 cm in frame
Canvas: 51 x 38 cm

Description

The painting constitutes a significant testimony of eighteenth-century votive painting, created as thanks for a grace received. The composition is organized according to the traditional distinction between earthly space and heavenly space.

In the lower part, the episode that gave rise to the vow is depicted. At the center of the scene appears a cow, around which a group of men, women, and children is arranged. Almost all the figures adopt attitudes of prayer and supplication: some are kneeling, others join their hands or extend them toward the sky. On the right, a male figure standing, dressed in eighteenth-century fashion, participates in the scene with a broad gesture of the arms.

The prominent presence of the animal suggests that the grace sought or granted was linked to cattle, a critically important element in the rural economy of the time: it could be the healing of the animal, its salvation from disease or from an accident, or a prodigious event involving the depicted family. In the absence of an explicit additional inscription, it is preferable not to specify further the nature of the miracle.

In the upper left corner, separated aesthetically from the earthly dimension by a luminous mass of clouds, appears the Virgin with Child Jesus, accompanied by a second female figure. This is the supernatural manifestation toward which the devout focus their gaze and gestures. The hierarchical arrangement — divine apparition above and recipients of grace below — fully belongs to the iconographic tradition of ex votos.

Particularly important is the large inscription “EX VOTO, 1775,” painted directly along the lower edge: it not only unequivocally states the devotional function of the work but also provides a precise chronological reference.

Stylistic considerations

The painting exhibits the characteristics typical of popular and devotional production of the eighteenth century: tiny figures, exaggerated gestures, immediate narrative clarity, and a perspective subordinated to the need to clearly render the event.

The painter seems to be mainly interested in narrating the miracle rather than achieving academic correctness of proportions. It is precisely this immediacy that constitutes one of the most authentic and fascinating elements of votive painting: the work is born as a concrete testimony of a lived event and the devotion of a community or a family.

The palette, today strongly conditioned by the state of conservation, preserves interesting color accents in the reds, greens, and blues of the garments, contrasted with the brown and earthy tones of the lower scene.

Conservation status

From the photographs, a rather compromised yet fully legible conservation state emerges. There are evident widespread losses and abrasions of the painted film, especially in the upper half and in the sky and clouds areas; craquelure, surface wear, small gaps and superficial alterations compatible with the age of the work are also present.

Some areas seem to have lost part of the glazes and original finishes. Before any intervention it would be advisable to verify the possible presence of retouchings or previous restorations. A cleaning performed by a qualified restorer could probably recover greater legibility of the color relationships and some details currently dulled, without removing the historical patina.

Frame

The frame currently present, in molded dark wood with a gilded inner edge, appears much more recent than the painting and serves essentially a protective and decorative function.

*** Note on photographs

Some of the photographs accompanying this page were taken professionally using controlled artificial lighting, with the aid of a studio spotlight, to ensure better readability of the work and allow a more precise observation of the painting surface, figurative details and color.

The frame is supplied with the work as a courtesy gift and does not constitute a substantial part of the sale. Any imperfections, losses or damage to the frame, including those arising from transport, cannot be grounds for dispute or for claiming compensation related to the work.

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