The Presentation of the Rosary to Saint Dominic by the Virgin Mary, oil on canvas, 18th century

Bologna School, first half of the 18th century. Seated in the glory of heaven, the Virgin—surrounded by angels and holding the Infant Jesus on her lap—hands a rosary to the kneeling Dominic, founder of the Dominicans, dressed in the black-and-white habit of his order. This scene echoes the tradition that the Virgin Mary appeared to Saint Dominic in the early 13th century, giving him the rosary as a spiritual tool to combat heresy. Mary’s gesture here symbolizes the mission entrusted to Dominic: to spread the prayer of the rosary as a weapon of peace and truth. Dominic, his gaze raised in devotion, embodies the model of the humble and zealous preacher, inspired by divine light. The celestial composition, bathed in golden light, underscores the supernatural inspiration of his vocation. In contrast, the lower part of the painting depicts an earthly landscape, reminiscent of the world in which he worked: a world in spiritual crisis, which he sought to enlighten through the word, prayer, and the founding of an order dedicated to study and preaching. The angels filling the clouds reinforce the scene’s mystical significance: they guide the viewer toward the ideal of active contemplation that Saint Dominic embodies. This painting is not merely a work of devotion; it is also a lesson in faith embodied in an important historical and spiritual figure of the Church. Dimensions Canvas: 123 x 83 cm - Frame: 144 x 104 Period frame