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Picture of the day
The Immaculate Conception
is an oil painting by Italian
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
. One of seven altarpieces commissioned in 1767 by King
Charles III of Spain
for the
Church of Saint Pascual
in Aranjuez, it depicts the
Virgin Mary
surrounded by angels and crowned with the
circle of stars
. She is shown trampling a snake, representing her victory over the devil. The painting's subject is the
Immaculate Conception
, an idea taught by the
Catholic Church
stating that the Virgin Mary was conceived without
original sin
. At the time the painting was commissioned, the Immaculate Conception concept was already common in art despite still being developed by theologians. It was declared a
dogma
of the Catholic Church in 1854 by
Pope Pius IX
, with
the associated feast
celebrated on 8 December. The painting is currently held by the
Prado Museum
in Madrid.
Painting:
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
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