Antique Painting Virgin Mary and Child on Canvas XVII Century

Oil on canvas. The large Baroque scene is completely filled with several figures, intertwined and overlapping, albeit at different levels of depth. Seated at the center is the Virgin, surrounded by the other figures: in her arms is the Baby Jesus, leaning sideways toward Saint John the Baptist, who holds his cross surmounted by the sash bearing the inscription "Ecce Agnus Dei"; in the second row, on the left, is an angel, gazing adoringly at the two children; on the right, a saint, recognizable as Saint Dominic by his iconographic attributes: his Dominican habit, but above all, the star (or North Star) on his forehead, indicating his ability to direct people to Christ, and the lily he holds, a symbol of purity. The figures' dynamism is accentuated by the colors of the figures, particularly those of Mary's dress: the red of her robe, taken from the book half-hidden behind Jesus, which she holds in one hand, and the blue with yellow edges of her cloak, which are also found in the angel's robe. The range of flesh tones is also remarkably varied, with a striking contrast between the paleness of Baby Jesus' body and the tanned complexion of John the Baptist. The work has undergone restoration and relining in the past. It is presented in a period frame.