Assumption of the Virgin
Lima (Peru), second half of the 17th century
Oil on canvas
Oil on canvas
210×160 cm
This painting shows the Virgin Mary in a blue mantle, rising towards a dove symbolizing the Holy Spirit, surrounded by angels and putti. The Apostles witness the event from below.
The depiction of the Assumption, established by the 15th century, reflects both apocryphal texts and Church teachings. Francisco Pacheco, in El arte de la pintura, emphasized that the Virgin ascended unaided by angels.
This late 17th-century painting, likely by an anonymous artist, presents a fresh approach to the Assumption, focusing on the Virgin's divine elevation and reducing the Apostles' role.