The altarpiece represents Our Lady of Mercy, or the Mantle Virgin, which hosts under his cloak a large group of people representative of various stratus, character-types sorted by gender and social prominence.
For higher social status is dedicated a more careful
representation, being the lower social status relegated to plans of
lower projection, more remote or hidden. Sometimes, among the
protégé, we find the figure of who commissioned the work, often in
gratitude to the Virgin for granted graces.
In the nineteenth century the polychrome and gilding of the altarpiece were removed by Vitorino Ribeiro`s indication, then curator of the benefactors portrait gallery of Misericórdia do Porto, invoking the neoclassical sobriety that was necessary.
Our Lady of Mercy
C. 1635
Chestnut wood
230 x 260 x 20 cm
