Immaculate Conception

The original of this clone is an 18th century sculpture from the atelier of the Tipa family in Trapani. It concentrates several iconographic topics particularly dear to the cult of the Virgin in Sicily in an object of rare harmony and complexity. The elaborate theological path to define the mystery only reached fulfilment in 1854, when Pope Pius IX proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. Before then depictions of the Virgin are linked to the universal role designated by the Counter-Reformation. An iconographic “standard” was widespread, in Sicily in particular, described by the Spanish painter Francisco Pacheco in his essay “Arte de la pintura”, in 1649, in which the Virgin is described, just as in this sculpture, with hands crossed on her breast resting on the moon which is rising from the earth embraced by a snake. It is important to remember that Philip III, Ruler of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, asked Pope Urban VIII to recognise the cult of the Virgin. In 1643, on request by the Order of Franciscans and the Viceroy Juan Alfonso Henriquez de Cabrera, the Virgin was proclaimed protectress of Sicily.

This eco-friendly design object is a triumph of typically Baroque symbolism and formal elegance: the feet of the base carved with floral motifs, the exquisitely detailed crown, the volutes supporting the Earth, and the bustling folds of the Virgin’s mantle. This clone is worthy of Baroque settings, or the Expensive style for more contemporary tastes. The richness of detail would also suit the complex arrangements in Louis XIV style.

The clone of the Statue of the Immaculate Conception should be in subtle colours to exalt the legibility of the countless elements present in the original.