The Virgin and Child with a kneeling female saint and three loosely sketched figures, one of them an angel 1710 - 1780

Francesco La Marra sketched The Virgin and Child with a kneeling female saint and three loosely sketched figures, one of them an angel, using pencil on paper, sometime in the 18th century. Although undated, this piece reflects artistic conventions of the period in Southern Italy. Religious imagery was deeply woven into the fabric of society, reinforcing the Church’s teachings. The Virgin Mary, a central figure in Catholicism, embodies ideals of motherhood and piety, characteristics highly valued by the Church. La Marra was active in a period in which The Grand Tour was extremely fashionable and Naples was a popular travel destination, and a vibrant artistic center. Religious works like this one catered to both local devotion and the interests of foreign visitors. Art history reminds us that meaning is constructed. By consulting historical sources like religious texts, travel journals, and records from the Naples Academy, we can reconstruct the cultural context that shaped La Marra’s work and the society for which it was produced.