The Conferring of the Name of Jesus

In light of its style characteristics, this painting, which was totally unknown until it was shown in the anthological exhibition on the painter held in Seville and Madrid in 1991, can be considered a late work by Valdés Leal. Its small size leads us to believe that it was meant for private devotion; furthermore, its iconography appears to be inspired by Jesuit thought.

The picture that the cloth and the knife, which are held by an angel, are visibly covered in blood. This is obvious proof that the circumcision has been carried out, while the absence of a priest indicates that the Virgin herself acted as celebrant.

In the upper part of the painting there is an outburst of glory inundated with golden tones, where a circle of angels surrounds the anagram of the name of Jesus that is shining like the sun. In this way the circumcision ceremony is linked with the giving of the name of Jesus to the Child, while at the same time exalting the coinciding emblem of the Jesuit Order in the form of the anagram. Especially pronounced in the composition is the intense movement that Valdés confers on the scene, displacing the figures of the Virgin, the Child and St. Joseph to the left and placing the angels on the opposite side. A feeling of collective emotion, intensely reflected in their faces, dominates over the physical and psychical expression of all the people in the picture. The strong contrast of lights and shadows seen in the lower part of the painting enhances the emotional nature of the scene with its intensity, all the while promoting a vigorous contrast between the pink, yellow and red tones that are prominent in the clothing of the Virgin, St. Joseph and the angels.