Oil on canvas depicting Madonna and sleeping child, 18th century

Oil on canvas depicting Madonna and sleeping child, 18th century 2

Oil on canvas depicting Madonna and sleeping child, 18th century 3

Oil on canvas depicting Madonna and sleeping child, 18th century 4

Oil on canvas depicting Madonna and sleeping child, 18th century 5

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Antique oil painting on canvas depicting the Madonna and Child sleeping in a gilded and carved wooden frame. Mary is depicted according to classical iconography, i.e. intent on reading a book while holding Jesus in her arms. Mary reads, in the full sense of the term: she listens, meditates, memorises, scrutinises, understands, prays, consents, contemplates and thus prepares herself to receive every message that comes to her from the Word she reads and in the time she reads. In Mary, prophecy and fulfilment overlap and coincide: annunciation and reality come together. By her example and behaviour, Mary teaches us the way to read. Jesus, book and reader, shows us God the way to read. Jesus holds an apple, the fruit of Good and Evil, symbol of Original Sin and thus of his expiatory Passion; Mary's pensive and melancholic gaze implies the foreshadowing of her Son's tragic destiny. The splendid workmanship and refined colouring, evidently of the highest level, suggest attribution to a highly talented artist working in Naples in the second half of the 18th century. Condition: Excellent Condition. Measurements: 65x78cm. Provenance: Naples end of 18th century. Document: Certificate of Authenticity.

ID: 12351-1655386290-41132