MADRID SCHOOL, 17TH CENTURY | MADONNA OF THE ROSARY

The Madonna of the Rosary became a popular subject for visual art in the early modern period as the Dominican order spread the practice of praying the rosary throughout Europe. In devotional paintings like the present lot, a garland of roses stood in for the prayer beads and represented the multitude of prayers bestowed on the Virgin. In this case, it seems that one artist painted the rose garland, which is characteristic of painting in Madrid in the 17th century, and another artist added the figures, which show Flemish influence. This type of specialized collaboration, even between artists from different countries, was not unusual in the period.