Jose de Paez Artista (1721-ca. 1790), Escuela Colonial Mexicana, Attributed to - Nuestra Señora de Belén con el Niño Jesús

Our Lady of Bethlehem with the Christ ChildArtist / School: Mexican (New Spanish) Colonial School – Historically and traditionally attributed to José de Páez (Mexico, 1721-ca. 1790).Period: 18th Century (c. 1750–1780).Medium: Oil on canvas.Dimensions: 126 x 95 cm (Large scale / Museum dimensions).Framing: Housed in its original period painted and gilded wooden frame.Provenance: Former private Spanish collection. Formally catalogued and auctioned as Lot 15 in the prestigious "Héritage" sale at La Suite Auction House (Barcelona) on October 27, 2022.Market References: Official catalogued estimate at La Suite of €6,000 / €10,000. Fully justified by current market benchmarks in leading galleries such as Durán Subastas (Madrid), where colonial oil paintings of identical iconography and smaller dimensions (105 x 83 cm) enter the market with firm starting prices of €12,000. Lot DescriptionAn exceptional, monumental 18th-century oil on canvas from the Viceroyalty of Mexico. The artwork showcases the refined and highly sought-after iconography of "Our Lady of Bethlehem with the Christ Child," surrounded by a heavenly retinue of cherubs and infant angels (putti) holding flowers and symbols of virginal purity. A charming secondary narrative scene depicting the Nativity in the manger is beautifully integrated into the lower-left background.Backed by documented family tradition, this high-quality painting has historically been attributed to the celebrated New Spanish Baroque master José de Páez. The formal and stylistic features strongly support this attribution: the idealized, mystical sweetness of the oval faces, the almond-shaped eyes, the delicate soft anatomy of the golden-haired cherubs, and the execution of a smooth, "enamelled" brushwork on a vibrant color palette consisting of deep blue mantles and rich carmine-red drapery.Condition ReportStructurally stable and fully consolidated. The original canvas has undergone a professional modern lining process (reentelado) on the reverse. It is currently mounted onto a contemporary hardwood stretcher featuring a central cross-brace reinforcement and perimeter corner keys/wedges, ensuring excellent long-term canvas tension. The pictorial surface shows minor paint losses, localized old touch-ups, and slight age-related wear, entirely expected for an authentic 18th-century work, retaining a magnificent natural period craquelure throughout.