A fine etching by Sienese artist Ventura Salimbeni, depicting the Virgin Mary surrounded by celestial figures in a graceful Mannerist style.

Ventura Salimbeni, a Sienese painter and printmaker, produced this etching during the late sixteenth century. The composition depicts the Virgin Mary seated amidst clouds, surrounded by celestial figures. Above her, the figure of God the Father gestures downwards, while an angel kneels in prayer to the left. A group of putti occupy the lower portion of the frame, adding a sense of movement to the ethereal scene. The Latin inscription at the base, taken from the Song of Songs, reads: Tota pulchra es amica mea et macula non est in te.

Salimbeni employs a delicate etching technique, using fine, cross-hatched lines to model the drapery of the garments and the soft texture of the clouds. The light source appears to emanate from behind the Virgin, creating a halo effect that draws the eye to the centre of the work. The figures exhibit the elongated proportions and graceful, twisting poses characteristic of the Mannerist style. Salimbeni was active in Rome and Siena, and his work reflects the stylistic shifts occurring in Italian art during this period, moving away from the strict balance of the High Renaissance towards more expressive and complex arrangements. This print demonstrates his technical proficiency with the etching needle, capturing both the spiritual gravity of the subject and the decorative potential of the medium. The inclusion of the artist's signature and the date 1590 in the lower right corner provides clear provenance for this specific impression.