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The imaculate conception
Juan de Valdés Leal painted the vision of the Immaculate Conception, showing the Virgin Mary triumphant amid swirling clouds and adoring angels. She stands on a crescent moon, dressed in traditional blue and white robes, her hands clasped in prayer. Cherubs surround her in a spiral of golden light.
The Immaculate Conception was a favorite subject in Counter-Reformation Spain, where the doctrine held particular devotion. Valdés Leal's dramatic Baroque style, with its energetic brushwork and theatrical lighting, made him ideal for such visionary subjects. The painting hangs at the Museo del Prado in Madrid.
