Toledo school; 17th century. "Virgin of the tabernacle". Oil on canvas. Re-drawn. Presents modern stretcher. Measurements: 107,5 x 83,5 cm. The work shows, on an undetermined background, the image of three quarters of a Virgin Mary with the Child in her arms. Her gaze to the front, the position of her hands, and the position of Jesus in relation to his mother suggest that it is a carving prior to the period in which the image was painted. It was very common in the 17th century to dress the most venerated images in this way in order to respect them and bring them up to date at the same time, as well as to highlight them and add the richness that their "rank" as sacred figures required. The elements carried by both Mary and the Child, and the gestures of both, are largely reminiscent of the image of the so-called Virgen del Sagrario in Toledo Cathedral. It is usually dated around 1200, made of wood and completely covered in silver (except for the head and hands) and, already famous in the time of Alfonso X the Wise, it was enthroned around 1226, making it even more prominent in the time of Isabella the Catholic. During the first half of the 17th century a chapel was built for her, begun by Don Gaspar de Quiroga and finished by D. Bernardo de Sandoval, and whose inauguration was presided over by Philip III (it took place in 1616). As already mentioned, the position of Mary's hands in the Baroque painting is very similar to that of the Toledo carving, as are the faces of the two figures, although the "updating" of the style and modelling of the volumes to Baroque approaches is clear, rather than following an archaic style related to the medieval. In other words, using aesthetics (composition, style, drawing, palette, etc.), this painting depicts an ancient carving that was prominent in the 17th century in Toledo, either for the person who commissioned the canvas or for a larger number of people, with the idea of situating the painting in a place, but always recalling the specific image it depicts. It is known from texts that the Virgin of the Tabernacle in Toledo mentioned above was dressed in the 17th century in a rich mantle of pearls and jewels. Furthermore, the crown shown in the oil painting would be the older of the two important ones in "his treasure" today (apparently a 15th-century base and the rest of the work of Alonso de Montoya in 1568 or between 1574 and 1586), and it is truly particular in its shape and the bands and hollows it creates at the front. The rostrillo with pearls of Mary would also be a common element when "decorating" or dressing the medieval carvings that were very popular in the Baroque period and later, with a series of jewels and elements that may have been donated by prominent personalities of the time. Dimensions 107.5 x 83.5 cm.