Assumption - Technique and Styles
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Assumption
ca. 1646-1652
Alonso Cano
The subject of the Assumption is here interwoven with the theme of the Immaculate Conception where Purissima (the Virgin born as cleansed from original sin) stands on a half moon, her head surrounded by twelve stars. The idea of the Immaculate Conception dominated in Spain in the 17th c. and Cano himself became famous for this subject. This painting is somehow related in style and iconography to Murillo's Immaculatae and, regarding composition, is a compromise between baroque dynamism and classical repose. The vivid and vibrant colours with sfumato effects owe much to Correggio with whose work Cano became acquainted 1646-1652 in the royal collection.