Painting By Ignazio Stern (ignaz Stern, 1679–1748) “madonna And Child With Angels”

Attributed to Ignazio Stern (Ignaz Stern, 1679–1748)
“Madonna and Child with Angels”

Technique: Oil on canvas, with an old relining dating to the first half of the 20th century
Period: first quarter of the 18th century
Canvas: 95 x 73.5 cm
Frame: 108 x 86 cm, 20th century
Condition: excellent

An important devotional painting depicting the Madonna and Child, set within a refined composition in the full late Baroque style.
The Virgin, depicted in half-length, holds the Infant Jesus on her lap while he, addressing the viewer directly, makes the sign of blessing. Mary gently lowers her gaze in an attitude of deep meditation, lending the scene an intense contemplative dimension.
The Child holds an apple in his hand, a traditional symbol of original sin and of the future Redemption wrought by Christ. At the top of the composition, two cherubs witness the scene, while on the right side, an elegant vase filled with roses and lilies alludes, respectively, to divine charity and the Virgin’s purity.
The work demonstrates a clear adherence to the Roman classicist style that developed between the late 17th and early 18th centuries under the influence of Carlo Maratta, from whom it draws its compositional balance, delicate play of light, and restrained idealization of the sacred figures.
Given the quality of the drawing, the softness of the brushwork, and the refined rendering of the faces, the painting appears to belong to the circle of Ignazio Stern (Ignaz Stern), an artist of Bavarian origin who trained in Rome within Maratta’s circle and became one of the most influential exponents of early 18th-century Roman religious painting.
The chromatic harmony, dominated by the intense blues of the Virgin’s mantle and the warm pinkish tones of the garments, together with the serene monumentality of the composition, attest to a figurative style in line with the highest models of Roman classicism, intended for cultured patrons and private devotion.