Immaculate Conception of the Choir, “the Girl”

The figure of this Immaculate Mother presents an admirable formal harmony. The undulating profile of the figure’s ascensional style, the uplifted adolescent face with large eyes, and crossed hands on her chest come together in the model that Murillo recreates, without repeating himself, in his numerous versions of this theme.
The loose brushstrokes, sometimes almost transparent, and the use of different gradations of light, create a sensational aerial perspective, more perceptible now thanks to the recent restoration. The grace of the shapes and a meticulous sense of composition that characterizes the works of this period make this work a clear example of the Rococo taste for which Murillo was famous, also explaining the choice of the adjective ‘hazy’ applied to Murillo’s paintings by Ceán Bermúdez.