Frostispiece of Pacheco, El Arte de la pintura (1649), Seville, Simon Faxardo, impressor de libros, a la Cerrajeria
Pacheco on the scene about the Immaculate Conception of Mary notes that, although this scene has been depicted with Virgin Mary with Jesus as a Child in her arms, the most correct and common way to do it is to represent such a scene without the Child. She has, instead, her hands in her hands, surrounded by the sun, crowned with stars and the moon at her feet, with the cord of St. Francis around her. Such conception follows the example presented by the author: “[…] in the new military religion of this mystery, instituted in Rome, with the authority of the sanctity of Urban VIII, on the 22nd of July 1626, with the title of Ambassador to the Catholic Majesty, Don Enrique de Guzmn, a knight from Seville, was sent the print with the habit, which is a very gallant cross and, in the middle, the image of Our Lady with the Child Jesus in her arms; later a second one was stamped without it, reforming the first” (Pacheco 1990, book 3, ch.11, 575).
“Without disputing the painting of the Child in her arms, for whoever has the devotion to painting her in this way, we will be satisfied with the painting that has no Child, because this is the most common, as is shown by the medals that, at the request of the Sacred Order of St. Francis, ancient defender of this mystery, blessed Leo the Tenth, granting them many graces and indulgences. She does not have a Child in her arms, but she has her hands in her hands, surrounded by the sun, crowned with stars and the moon at her feet, with the cord of St. Francis around her. And this opinion is further strengthened, seeing that in the new military religion of this mystery, instituted in Rome, with the authority of the sanctity of Urban VIII, on the 22nd of July 1626, with the title of Ambassador to the Catholic Majesty, Don Enrique de Guzmán, a knight from Seville, was sent the print with the habit, which is a very gallant cross and, in the middle, the image of Our Lady with the Child Jesus in her arms. And later a second one was stamped without it, reforming the first, which I can show, something that makes me very strong, for having been sent in such a forewarned time”.
“sin poner a pleito la pintura del Niño en los brazos, para quien tuviere devoción de pintarla así, nos conformaremos con la pintura que no tiene Niño, porque ésta es la más común, como lo muestran las medallas que, a instancia de la sagrada Orden de San Francisco, antigua defensora deste misterio, bendito León décimo, concediéndoles muchas gracias e indulgencias. No tiene Niño en los brazos, antes tiene puestas las manos, cercada del sol, coronada de estrellas y la luna a sus pies, con el cordón de San Francisco a la redonda. Y aún se esfuerza más esta opinión, viendo que en la nueva religión militar deste misterio, instituida en Roma, con autoridad de la santidad de Urbano VIII, se envió a 22 de julio de 1626, con el título de Embajador a la Majestad católica, a don Enrique de Guzmán, caballero sevillano, la estampa con el hábito, que es una cruz muy galana y, en medio, la imagen de Nuestra Señora con el Niño Jesús en los brazos.Y después se estampó otra segunda sin él, reformando la primera, las cuales puedo mostrar, cosa que me hace mucha fuerza, por haberse enviado en tiempo tan advertido.”
Luis Pascual Gaudi, Immaculata, Around 1600 (an artwork within a paintings serie about the history of St. Bruno, currently not preserved)
Pacheco 1990, 577, n. 38
