Artwork
The Immaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Alonso del Arco. It dates from 1692 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The figure of Mary is portrayed in a manner consistent with traditional iconography associated with this specific theological event.
The painting depicts the Immaculate Conception of Mary, presenting the Virgin as the central religious subject. As a work of religious art, it visualizes the doctrine that Mary was conceived without original sin, a theme explicitly identified as the main subject of the composition. The figure of Mary is portrayed in a manner consistent with traditional iconography associated with this specific theological event.
Technique & Style
The Immaculate Conception is executed in oil paint on canvas, a standard support for Spanish religious painting of the period. According to cataloguing data, the work measures 168 cm in height by 106 cm in width, giving it a tall, vertical format suited to its devotional subject.
The painting belongs to the religious genre and depicts the Immaculate Conception of Mary. Its classification as a painting and its medium of oil on canvas are consistent with the techniques employed by Spanish artists of the late seventeenth century, including Alonso del Arco, to whom the work is attributed and dated 1683.
History & Provenance
The Immaculate Conception by Alonso del Arco is dated 1683, as indicated by the artist’s inscription on the work itself and corroborated by museum records.
The painting entered the collection of the Museo del Prado through the merger of the Museo de la Trinidad in 1872, where it had previously been held. Its provenance before that date is not documented in the sources provided.
The painting is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado in Madrid. Historically, the work was also associated with the Museo de la Trinidad before becoming part of the Prado's holdings. The artwork, created in 1683, depicts the Immaculate Conception of Mary and is executed in oil on canvas.
No specific inventory number or detailed exhibition history for this piece is provided in the available sources.
Overview
Alonso del Arco’s 1692 oil on canvas, titled The Immaculate Conception, presents a devotional scene centered on the Virgin Mary. The work is part of the collection at Madrid’s Museo del Prado and exemplifies late‑Baroque religious painting through its luminous composition and theatrical arrangement of figures.
Artist & collection
