Antique Painting Virgin Mary with Saints Oil on Canvas '600

Oil on canvas. Emilian School, 17th century. The scene can be divided horizontally into two parts: in the upper section, Mary and Jesus appear in glory on the clouds, flanked by an angel on the right and Saint Francis of Paola on the left, identified by the staff holding a medallion with the inscription "Charitas". Mary is conversing with the saint, while Jesus looks down, where the other figures are gathered in adoration. In the lower section, several other saints appear, recognizable by their specific attributes. On the right is Saint Gertrude of Helfta, a Cistercian nun holding her pastoral staff in one hand and pointing to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on her chest with the other. On the other side is a group of five male figures, including, from left to right: Saint Blaise of Sebaste, a holy Armenian bishop and physician, holding an iron carding brush, the instrument of his martyrdom; Saint Anthony of Padua, in Franciscan habit and holding a lily; Saint Mark, intent on writing the words of the Gospel in a book, as an angel behind him suggests, with a lion crouching at his feet; Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, kneeling in adoration, with an angel offering him the lily of purity, and a crown thrown at his feet, symbolizing the rejection of his noble title to enter the Society of Jesus. A few cherubs move around these figures. On the left, a vertical column connects the two sections, while a soft landscape can be glimpsed in the background. The painting features some figures with more detailed, well-defined faces, while others are more nuanced. There is a careful study of evocative, harmoniously contrasting and balanced light and color effects, lending different expressiveness and movement to the figures, who meet and partially overlap despite their very specific identities. The painting comes from an important historical collection in Bologna. It has been restored and relined in the past. It is presented in a late 19th century frame.