Baltasar de Echave Ibía (Mexico City, New Spain, ¿1583-84? - 1644) 'Coronation of the Virgin' Oil on copper. 24,5 x 18,3 cm.   Baltasar de Echave Ibía was a prominent painter of the early Baroque in New Spain. Ibía, heir to the Mannerist style of his father Baltasar de Echave Orio, is distinguished by his use of a palette rich in blue tones, which earned him the nickname “El Echave de los Azules” (Echave of the Blues).   This painting shares similarities with other works by Baltasar de Echave Ibía, as well as with the Seville school, from which the Echave family drew references through engravings by artists such as Francisco Pacheco and Murillo. The balanced composition, supernatural lighting, and detailed treatment of faces reinforce the idea that this work can be attributed to Echave Ibía.   One of the most distinctive aspects of Echave Ibía’s style is his chromatic palette, dominated by deep blue tones, especially in the garments of the Virgin Mary. In this painting, the choice of a vibrant blue mantle with golden embroidery is one of the keys to its attribution to this artist.   The use of blue in Echave Ibía’s work is both symbolic and aesthetic. From a theological perspective, blue has been associated with the Virgin Mary as a symbol of her purity and divinity. In pictorial terms, Echave Ibía used this tone exceptionally to create contrasts with golden backgrounds or the warm tones of angels and celestial figures.   This characteristic feature found in the painting can also be observed in *The Immaculate Conception*, dated 1620, kept in the National Museum of Mexico, where the blue of the Virgin’s mantle stands out against a luminous background of golden radiance. Both paintings share other similarities, such as iconographic elements, enveloping light, and the rich ornamentation of the mantle.   Moreover, Echave Ibía’s painting *Saint Paul and Saint Anthony the Hermit*, also kept in the aforementioned museum, shares the treatment given to the background landscape with this one, a background dominated by bluish tones that create a mystical and enveloping atmosphere.   Finally, the similarity between the palettes of those paintings and the one we have here reinforces the hypothesis of its attribution to Echave Ibía.   This marvelous copper piece shows a masterful use of chiaroscuro, with a light source emanating from the Virgin and Child, who are surrounded by a celestial glow. This light technique is characteristic of New Spanish painting of the 17th century and is particularly visible in the work of Echave Ibía.   The modeling of the faces is delicate and detailed, with a tendency toward oval and gentle features, especially in the Virgin Mary and the angels, a hallmark of the artist, contrasting with the robustness and drama characteristic of other New Spanish painters such as Sebastián López de Arteaga.   The painting represents a classical iconography of the Coronation of the Virgin, where Mary is depicted ascending to heaven, surrounded by angels, holding the Christ Child in her arms, and crowned in glory. This scene not only reinforces Marian doctrine but also emphasizes the Virgin Mary’s celestial hierarchy as intercessor and Queen of Heaven, a theme highly recurrent during the Counter-Reformation.   Marian devotion was venerated by the Franciscans since the 13th century, being of great importance to the order.   We can identify the iconographic type adopted by the fathers for the portrayal of the Virgin of the Angels, an image that presided over the church of the convent, known as the Convent of the Discalced.   The Virgin of the Angels is a variation of a print that was circulating at the time, created by the Dutch engraver Cornelis Cort (1533/1536–1578) and published in Rome in 1574. It depicts the theme of the *Assumption and Coronation of the Virgin*, showing her figure standing, in a prayerful attitude, and surrounded by two pairs of angels who support and crown her.   This composition was successively simplified in 16th-century models, focusing attention on the figure of the Virgin Mary.   This small and exquisite copper piece varies slightly from the typical portrayal of the Virgin Mary, presenting her with a scepter as Queen and carrying her Son in her arms, thereby giving her greater prominence.     Reference Bibliography: - Arellano, F. (1988). 'El arte hispanoamericano'. Universidad Católica Andrés Bello. - Burke, M. (1992). 'Pintura y escultura en Nueva España: El barroco (Arte Novohispano)'. Fondo de Cultura Económica. - Danes, G. (1942). 'Baltasar de Echave Ibía. Some Critical Notes on the Stylistic Character of His Art'. Anales del Instituto de Investigaciones Estéticas, 3(9), 15-26. - Kubler, G. (1961). 'Mexican Architecture of the Sixteenth Century'. Yale University Press. - Portús, J. (2016). 'Metapintura. Un viaje a la idea del arte en España'. Museo Nacional del Prado. - Ruiz Gomar, R. (2002). 'La pintura novohispana del siglo XVII: Temas y variaciones'. Museo Nacional de Arte de México. - Toussaint, M. (1965). 'Colonial Art in Mexico'. University of Texas Press. - Tovar de Teresa, G. (1992). 'Catálogo de pintores y escultores en la Nueva España'. Instituto de Investigaciones Estéticas, UNAM. - Victoria, J. G. (1994). 'Un pintor en su tiempo. Baltasar de Echave Orio'. Instituto de Investigaciones Estéticas, UNAM.