Virgin and Child

myminifactory

This unique Portuguese devotional sculpture was crafted specifically for the cult of Our Lady of the Rosary, linking it with the veneration of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception through the inclusion of a lunar crescent on its base, a combination popularized by Dominican preachers. The rosary, signifying a wreath of roses, takes physical form in a mandorla of twenty-four roses and the rose presented by the Virgin herself. Distinctive volumes, the style of folds in the garments, and the definition of facial features all attest to Diogo Pires-o-Velho's exceptional skill, as seen in his Virgin and Child at the church of Leca da Palmeira, commissioned by Dom Afonso V in 1481.