Antique Painting The Birth of the Virgin Mary Copy from S. Vouet '600

Oil on canvas. This is a beautiful copy of the famous painting by Simon Vouet (1590-1649) created between 1618 and 1620, and located in a chapel of the church of San Francesco a Ripa in Rome. Created by Vouet during his stay in Rome, the work shows a significant Caravaggesque influence, both in its chromatic and lighting choices, as well as in the poses of the figures. These characteristics are faithfully found in this copy. The palette is rich in colors (blue, orange, and obviously red) that materialize in draperies painted with great brushwork, but there is also an abundance of white cloths, which are everywhere to provide light and create a visual impact. The details are rich: the elaborate hairstyle of the figure seen from behind and his bare foot in the foreground (but not dirty, like those of Merisi); the white vase on the floor contrasts with the large copper basin; The lace of the shirt and turban of the woman on the right, as well as her left hand (a typical Caravaggio pose) extended openly toward the viewer, give the scene a sense of depth. The painting was restored and relined in the late 19th century, and mounted on a stretcher from that period. It is presented in a late 19th-century frame.