École de Cuzco (XVIII-XIX) - Vierge à l’Enfant entourée de fleurs

Interesting oil on canvas adhered to board, belonging to the Quito/ Cuzqueña tradition? Wait: It says Escuela Cuzqueña, Peruvian. The Escuela Cuzqueña (Cusco School) tradition. Oil on canvas adhered to board, belonging to the Cusco School tradition, between the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, depicting the Virgin with Child in a rich devotional composition surrounded by flowers and angels' heads.

The work presents numerous elements characteristic of colonial Andean painting: the frontal staging and solemnity of the figures, the strong religious character of the scene, the abundant ornamentation of the Virgin’s mantle and the predominance of decorative resources over a strictly naturalistic search.

The Virgin is depicted with the Child Jesus in her arms, both framed by a wide floral repertoire that occupies a large part of the composition. The mantle, richly decorated with gold motifs, constitutes one of the main visual focal points of the work and responds to the ornamental taste so characteristic of viceregal Andean painting.

In the lower zone appear two small angelic heads integrated among flowers and vegetation, while in the upper part a celestial atmosphere unfolds with splendors and luminous elements that reinforce the sacred character of the representation.

The composition stands out for its chromatic richness, with a predominance of reds, blacks, golds and floral tones, as well as for the contrast between the monumental scale of the central figures and the meticulousness of the ornamental elements.

This type of painting had wide diffusion in the territories of the former Viceroyalty of Peru, especially through workshops linked to Cusco, where since the seventeenth century an important painting school developed that fused European religious models with formal and decorative solutions typical of the Andean world.

The canvas is currently adhered to a rigid wooden support, probably as a consequence of an old intervention intended to provide greater stability to the painting.

The work presents a conservation state in line with its age, showing craquelure, wear, small losses, old restorations and other signs typical of the passage of time. Overall it preserves a good aesthetic presence and a correct reading of the composition.

Origin: from a private collection.

The work is presented framed. The frame is included as a gift, with no added commercial value, so its conservation state will not be a grounds for complaint.

The photographs form an integral part of the description and allow a detailed view of the actual conservation state of the piece.

The work will be shipped using professional packing and carefully protected, employing suitable materials to guarantee maximum safety possible during transport.

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An attractive example of South American colonial religious painting, with strong decorative and devotional character, linked to the artistic tradition of the Cusco School.