The Virgin of the Immaculate Conception

This large panel depicts a central figure of the Virgin Mary in the heavens, standing on a crescent moon and embraced by a smaller figure of Christ. She is surrounded by six angels, who emerge from the cloudy background, along with fifteen symbols of the Virgin’s Immaculate Conception. The panel's subject is made explicit by the the scroll held by Christ, which is inscribed with a verse from Song of Songs 4:7 adapted to the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, 'tota pulchra es, amica mea, et macula non est in te' (Thou art all fair, O my love, and there is not a spot in thee). While the figural types suggest that the artist responsible for this altarpiece was of Germanic origin, similar imagery is found in works produced in France and Spain in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries (see J.L.C. Cobo, 'Memoria final sobre el estado de conservación y tratamiento realizado de restauración de la pintura sobre tabla de la Virgen Tota Pulchra perteneciente a la iglesia de la Victoria de Osuna,' Cuadernos de los Amigos de los Museos de Osuna, XI, 2009, pp. 87-92). Early examples include an altarpiece in Artajona from 1497, an engraving from Thilman Kerver’s French Book of Hours from 1505, as well as engravings printed in Zaragoza in 1531 and 1534, and in Valencia from 1505 to 1518.

The symbols and emblems illustrated in the present work reflect the idea that the Virgin Mary was born free from sin and thereby was a pure vessel for Christ’s birth. Beginning at upper left and proceeding downward, we see the sun (Electa ut sol, 'Bright as the sun': Song of Songs, 6:9), a city gate (Porta celi, 'Gate of heaven': Genesis 28:17), a rosebush (Plantatio rose, 'rose plant': Ecclesiasticus 24:18), a cedar tree (Cedrus exaltata, 'Exalted like a cedar': Ecclesiasticus 24:17 ), a well (Puteus aquarum viventium, 'Well of living waters': Song of Songs 4:15), a tree (Virga jesse floruit, 'Jesse’s rod blossomed': Ezekiel 7:10), and an enclosed garden (Ortus conclusus, 'Enclosed garden': Song of Songs 4:12). To the right, proceeding downward we see a star (Stella maris, 'Star of the sea': liturgical hymn), the moon (Pulcra ut luna, 'Beautiful as the moon': Song of Songs, 6:9), a lily (Lilium inter spias, 'A lily among thorns': Song of Songs, 2:2), a fortress (Turris David, 'The tower of David': Song of Songs 4:4), an olive tree (Oliva speciosa, 'Fair olive tree': Ecclesiasticus 24:19), a mirror (Speculum sine macula, 'Spotless mirror': Wisdom 7:26), a fountain (Fons ortorum, 'Fountain of orchards': Song of Songs 4:15) and a city (Civitas dei, 'City of God': Psalms 86:3).

The six angels each bear scrolls with additional Latin inscriptions taken from the Gospel of Luke 1:28-35, all of which are quotations from the Archangel Gabriel's Annunciation to Mary.