The School of Sisters (La Escuela de las Vírgenes)

This is from the Hospicio Provincial (Hogar Pignatelli), where it was discovered in 1915. The work was originally completed for the School of Sisters (Colegio de las Vírgenes) in Zaragoza and is an allegory of its foundation. In the middle, the Virgin Mary is sitting on a throne dressed in brocade and holding a book as she teaches a group of young girls. It is not known who painted this work. However, the importance of the assignment and the style suggest it was completed in around 1570 by an artist involved in the foremost Aragonese painting circles. Formally, it is reminiscent of the previous period with the predilection for brocade, the late Gothic throne, and the various levels of perspective.