After research, I created a digitally remastered version of the painting that I believe more closely resembles the painting at its completion. I concede that Mary's complexion may have been cooler in tone (as was the motif of the period), however the added warmth and yellow tones I have added lend an acutely vivid and lifelike nurturing air to the painting, as well as simulate the low light emulated within. As you will see comparatively to the visage of the painting as it appears these days later in the document, the restoration of the red of her robe has a surprisingly rich impact upon the tone of the entire piece.
As with the allegory of Venus and cupid, this painting matches Bronzino in terms of scale and technical accuracy- although the latter is departed from each other resultantly from their distinctive time periods. While Bronzino practiced according to the mannerist ideas- breaking boundaries, Velazquez , painting this devotional piece almost a century after Bronzino, has entered a new age of artistic concepts and expression.
Velázquez was noted foremost by his sensitive yet impactful application of light and form to portray his human subjects- their faces exquisitely rendered with acute attention to expression and individualistic nuance- rather than the notable porcelain - stylisation of previous artists. For instance, in this painting ‘the immaculate conception’, he shows a young woman who floats gracefully upon a floating orb that diffuses mysteriously into the pastoral scene below- identifiably of antiquity from the villa erected in the background. While much of the original pigmentation of this particular painting (and it’s sister painting, depicting Saint John the evangelist who notes the Woman of the apocalypse’s presence in the sky”) has deteriorated beyond identification- Velázquez’ depth and knowledge of colour is seamless in the facial tones of Mary; the sensitive blush that graces her cheeks, the tonal discolouration in her eyelids- yet complemented by the sharp structure that the key light enhances in the shape of her nose- implying a structural and commanding beauty alike to that of ancient sculpture- showing Velazquez knowledge and perhaps a historical allusion to the neoclassicism period that was to follow one hundred years later.
This ‘sculptural’ aspect is further reified in the deeply carved and accentuated lines of the drapery she wears. Some have suggested that Velázquez may have been well acquainted with the forms and proper technique of painting wooden sculpture- a specified application that may have aided his notable ability to portray the three dimensioned complex form with such ease and lifelike vivacity. The sharpness of his work similarly implies a more expressive and more worldly understanding of translating the physical into the two dimensioned plane- perhaps most clear from the way in which he paints the stars that halo the subject’s head. Unlike many other artists (in quite substantial numbers), Velázquez has elected not to paint the stars as traditional bursts of light, rather, a more realistic and elegant crown of cool pinpoints. I personally believe that this suggests not only perhaps a stubbornness in him not to conform to garish ab
solutes , but also of his appreciation of natural beauty. Perhaps the interpretations of what he saw in real life as transmuted into art seemed unsavoury to him in the devotional context. I think, with perhaps more mirth, that Velázquez perhaps simply was gifted with unyielding eyesight, which would perhaps explain as to why even his long distance paintings seemed so naturalistic even from a distance- and why his stars are more perfect and less flared than in other images. They are perfect - each star perhaps representing the twelve apostles, or the twelve patriarchs of the tribes of Israel. The early baroque era in which this was completed was renowned for their own unique take in this conventional symbolism - the devotion of the twelve stars where each each one of the stars symbolises a special charism or privilege of Mary- in such paintings this was most pertinent, given that their aim was to introduce the very new and important idea of divinity to Mary towards the public churchgoer.
As previously mentioned, “The immaculate conception’ focuses upon Mary and her purity. Purity and the absence of sin, it was supposed, is what allowed Mary to carry Jesus- in that she was born totally without sin; hence, immaculately conceived. Just a few years before this painting was
completed, Pope Paul the fifth released a decree which involved this doctrine- thereby setting this idea forth as a staple belief of catholic doctrine and religion. Subsequently the subject matter became hugely popular in art- this painting offers an early example of this theme in the Spanish art world. Visually, Velázquez has shown her conveying a peaceful and demure disposition- casing her eyes naturally down in humility and chastity, symbolising her sinlessness and the eschewing of tainting her soul. Her hands are clasped in prayer, and in this way her body is positioned in a subtle yet sculptural fluidity- in a delicate ‘s’ shape , which smoothly and effortlessly draws the eye-line towards her eyes following the bend in her knee that suggests a relaxed and yet pleasantly restful balance of her weight. She is - in this image- considered the archetype; the blueprint. As an archetypal symbol of the church she is surrounded by heavenly power- emerging from billowing clouds edged with a fine golden yellow- per
haps to echo the biblical passage that describes the church as ‘clothed with the sun’. Colour-wise this painting would have initially been extraordinarily vibrant; the rich red . From my research, Velazquez used Lake pigments - and it is extremely likely that the paint he used for her dress would have been glazed using rose madder lake , which infamously is extremely fugitive when exposed to ultraviolet or natural light. The sheer deterioration of this pigment indicated that it was displayed very openly to natural light- a public display piece, perhaps?
I personally greatly admire Velázquez's remarkable brushwork ability - incorporating both the suggestion of painterly stylisation and fantasy with the emotive and more subtle objectively realistic tones in his subject’s faces. One knows exactly where one must look, and we have no doubt of where he directs our attention and our emotive responses. The perfection and sublime presentation of the piece enforces a message of truth to the viewer- its visceral impact upon the senses simply showing us an absolute reality. A propagandist piece, yes this is true, but it does not detract from the staggering and dream like effect it has upon those who see it in the flesh.
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