Sevillian school. Circle of BARTOLOME ESTEBAN MURILLO (Seville, 1617 - 1682), 17th century. "The Virgin handing the rosary to Saint Dominic". Oil on canvas. Relined. Frame of the 19th century, with damages. Size: 157 x 102 cm; 172 x 115 cm (frame). One of the most outstanding episodes of the legend of Saint Domingo de Guzmán is the vision that the saint had of the Virgin of the Rosary, appearing to him in the chapel where he was praying. The episode depicted here was in fact the most popular in Spanish painting during the Baroque period, especially in the Sevillian school. In particular, the present scene is directly influenced by Murillo`s painting of the same name (now in the Archbishop`s Palace in Seville, a work of his youth, executed between 1638 and 1640): in both paintings, a subtle break of glory envelops in cotton wool the apparition of a young Mary, who holds the Christ Child in her left arm. The Virgin is depicted with a gentle, idealised face, wrapped in a soft robe and mantle draped by a gentle breeze. On the left, the saint expresses surprise and rapture with the sparkle in his eyes. He holds out his hand to receive the rosary. Between the two figures in the present painting we see the same motif as in Murillo`s painting: a bouquet of lilies, a symbol of purity, has been placed on the closed cover of the Bible. From the golden background emerge the loving heads of seraphs, impregnated with tenderness, again following Murillo`s models. The painter does not, however, attempt to imitate the model, and there are clear differences: the dog and the plinth in Murillo`s painting are not depicted, but the silent bond between the two main figures is the focus of the painting. In conclusion, it is safe to assume that this painting, which is practically coeval with Murillo, must have been executed under the influence of the master by a disciple of his.