Pope Leo XIV has already spoken of his love for Mary, following in the footsteps of the great Pope Leo XIII who wrote no less than 11 encyclicals devoted to our Lady and her Rosary. So I thought I might celebrate the papal election with a few more Marian images, this one by Antonio de Pereda, who was among the leading artists working in Madrid in the 17th century.
In the Book of Revelations, John the Evangelist describes a vision of the Madonna standing on a crescent moon wearing a crown of twelve stars. His account serves as the foundation for many images of the Immaculate Conception, a motif that reached a crescendo in 17th-century Spain. In fact, this large altarpiece is one of three versions the artist painted of the subject.
The Arts of Golden Age Spain and the Hispanic World 