Our Lady of Mercy
AUTHOR
Domingos Vieira Serrão (1570?-1632)
PLACE/DATE
Portugal, late 16th century
MATERIALS
Oil on wood
DIMENSIONS
130 x 130 cm
INV
PIN.255
Designed by the royal painter of Philip II of Portugal (1578-1621), this painting shows a composition dominated by the depiction of Our Lady of Mercy according to the iconography of Mater Omnia - the Virgin Mary welcoming people of all social status and strata on her large blue mantle.
This is the case of members of the clergy and nobles, but also of the people, represented here at the centre of the painting by underprivileged people, such as the sick and children, with their backs to the observer facing the Virgin, and symbols of Marian preference for the humble.
Its production follows the norms of the council of Trent (1545-1563), placing the elements of the earthly world in a pose of adoration and away from the celestial element, in this case, the Virgin, arranged elevated on a crescent, symbol of the Immaculate Conception.
