Immaculate Conception
by ESCALANTE, Juan Antonio Frias y, Oil on canvas, 206,5 x 173 cm
Escalante was a thoroughly Baroque painter, with an eye for the subtleties of color and light, and a daring craftsman. In 1667-68 he executed a series of paintings for the Merced Calzada of Madrid, some of which are preserved in the Prado Museum.
Originally this painting was in the church San Felipe Neri in Madrid. The influence of Van Dyck and Murillo on this painting is well-marked.