Artwork

Virgin of the Rosary with Dominican Saints and Donor

Virgin of the Rosary with Dominican Saints and Donor is an oil painting. It dates from 1800 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The work is a religious painting depicting the Virgin Mary, identified as the Virgin of the Rosary, accompanied by Jesus Christ and several Dominican saints.

The work is a religious painting depicting the Virgin Mary, identified as the Virgin of the Rosary, accompanied by Jesus Christ and several Dominican saints. The composition also includes a male donor figure, indicating a personal or devotional commission. As a piece of religious art created in 1800, the imagery centers on the veneration of Mary through the Rosary, a practice closely associated with the Dominican Order.

The inclusion of specific saints alongside the donor suggests a narrative of intercession and spiritual patronage. The medium of oil paint on copper supports the detailed rendering typical of such devotional subjects from the period.

Technique & Style

The work is an oil painting executed on a copper support, a technique documented for the piece. According to the recorded data, the artwork measures 31.8 cm in height and 22.7 cm in width and was created in 1800. It belongs to the religious genre and portrays the Virgin of the Rosary together with Dominican saints and a donor, a composition typical of devotional imagery.

The surface bears the characteristic sheen of oil pigments on metal, contributing to a luminous formal quality that emphasizes the sacred narrative. The painting is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection.

Context

The Virgin of the Rosary with Dominican Saints and Donor, executed in oil on copper in 1800, is listed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection and described in reference databases as an anonymous work of religious art that depicts Christ, the Virgin, saints, and a donor. Its iconography reflects early nineteenth‑century devotional practices and demonstrates the influence of Dominican devotional imagery within the broader trajectory of religious painting. Scholarly catalogues note the piece as an example of anonymous painter activity in the Caribbean, highlighting its significance for understanding the development of devotional art in the period.

Overview

This painting, titled Virgin of the Rosary with Dominican Saints and Donor, is executed on copper. It depicts a central female figure, crowned and holding a similarly crowned infant, both adorned with a rosary. They are encircled by five robed male figures, some of whom appear to be praying or looking upwards. Two winged figures hover above the main group, completing this devotional scene.