Catalan school, 18th century."Virgin of La Merced with the coat of arms of Barcelona".Oil on

Catalan school, 18th century.
"Virgin of La Merced with the coat of arms of Barcelona".
Oil on canvas.
Current frame and reinforced with lateral bands.
Measurements: 91 x 72 cm; 119 x 100 cm (frame).
The Marian invocation of the Virgin of La Merced with the Child Jesus in her arms has been represented in a studied composition governed by symmetry and simplicity. The white tunic and mantle, in their conical shape, give the image great solemnity. The gazes of the seraphim arranged in a semicircle, in the manner of a break in glory, converge on the Virgin's soft-featured countenance. The Child Jesus, also crowned, adopts the gesture of blessing and wears a replica of the Marian mantle, edged in gold. The coat of arms of Barcelona appears on the chest of the tunic. Stylistically, the painting belongs to the transitional period between Baroque and Neoclassicism.
Devotion to the Virgin of Mercy originated in Catalonia. The Order of Mercy was founded around her, initiated by Saint Peter Nolasco at the beginning of the 13th century. It was precisely the Mercedarian monks who spread her cult throughout Spain, France and Italy from that date onwards. The iconography for the representations of the Virgin of Mercy acquired its definitive form in the 16th century, which in the Baroque period moved towards more dynamic representations, with breaks in glory. In this case, the composition is ordered, distributed from the angelic court that crowns the Virgin, and the ancient symbolisms referring to redeemed sinners are removed, reducing the iconography to the elementary.