Virgin of the Silversmiths

The Virgin of the Silversmiths is a large oil on canvas that Juan de Valdés Leal painted in 1654, showing the Virgin as the Immaculate Conception surrounded by saints and a host of cherubs. The Virgin stands on a pedestal, while Saint Anthony of Padua and Saint Eligius, patron of goldsmiths, kneel at her sides. Their presence reflects the commission from the silversmiths' guild of Córdoba, made for their altar on the former Calle Pescadería. The painting is said to draw on Murillo's Immaculate Conception, though its composition has a distinct character of its own. One cherub carries a verse inscription playing on the idea of God as the universal silversmith who fashioned the Virgin as a jewel, a clever device that links the donors' trade with the Marian mystery. The canvas left that altar in 1841 and is now held at the Museo de Bellas Artes de Córdoba. Its interest lies in the blend of guild devotion, Baroque language and a clear link to the Seville tradition to which Valdés Leal belonged.

Painter

Juan de Valdés Leal

Date

1654

Medium

oil paint, canvas

Dimensions

220 × 222 cm

Museum

Museum of Fine Arts of Córdoba, Córdoba

Movement

Escuela sevillana de pintura, Baroque painting

Genre

religious art

Depicts

Anthony of Padua, cherub, Mary, Eligius

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