MORALES, Luis de
(b. ca. 1520, Badajoz, d. 1586, Badajoz)

Virgin and Child (La Virgen del Sombrero)

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Oil on panel, gold leaf, 34 x 25 cm
Private collection

This panel is an example of the artist's representation of La Virgen del Sombrero, or La Virgen de la Gitana, an iconography associated with the circular gipsy hat worn by the Virgin, signaling her humble origins. The compositional type recalls the works of Raphael and the sfumato modelling reveals the enduring influence of the work of Leonardo and his followers on Morales's work.