Virgin and Child-Morales

Traditionally attributed to "El Divino" Luís de Morales, this painting reminds us of other works by the same artist, such as that in the Staatliche Museen in Berlin, or the Hermitage, St. Petersburg. While evoking the candour and grace of the "Virgins of Tenderness", of Byzantine tradition, this painting announces the destiny (symbolised by the spindle) of the Infant Christ: his Passion, revealed by the cross and by the melancholic look in his mother's eyes. The pink of the tunic and the blue of the cloak contrast and reinforce the limpid flesh tones, while the black background confers even greater dramatic effect to the scene.