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Study for "The Assumption of the Virgin" for San Augustín, Seville by Juan de Valdés Leal

Juan de Valdés Leal · 1671-01-01

This is Juan de Valdés Leal's 1671 "Study for The Assumption of the Virgin," held at The Cleveland Museum of Art. It is a preparatory sketch for a grand altarpiece commissioned for a church in Seville.

Look at the ascending Virgin Mary, her serene expression and upward gaze conveying divine peace. Angels surround her, a celestial escort, with one angel at the top holding the crown of heaven. Below, a dark figure reaches upwards, representing humanity's aspiration.

Valdés Leal was born in Seville and active in the Spanish Baroque period. This study showcases his dynamic composition and dramatic use of light and shadow to capture the pivotal theological moment of the Assumption.

The painting vividly illustrates the doctrine of the Virgin's bodily ascent into heaven.

Details

She rises, a divine and holy vision.
She rises, a divine and holy vision.
Angels surround her, a celestial escort.
Angels surround her, a celestial escort.
An angel holds the crown of heaven.
An angel holds the crown of heaven.
Below, humanity reaches for the divine.
Below, humanity reaches for the divine.
His rich white drapery emphasizes her radiance.
His rich white drapery emphasizes her radiance.
Transcript

She rises, a divine and holy vision. Angels surround her, a celestial escort. This study was for a Seville altarpiece. An angel holds the crown of heaven. Below, humanity reaches for the divine. Juan de Valdés Leal painted this in 1671. His rich white drapery emphasizes her radiance.