The wooden statue reproduces the Immaculate Conception according to the classic iconography associated with this subject, but with special attention to the clothing with its decorations. The Virgin Mary, crowned with twelve stars, crushes under her feet a serpent, unfortunately damaged, fulfilling the prophecy of the book of Genesis: I will put enmity between thee and the woman, between her seed and thy seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt undermine her heel.
Salvatore Cepparulo (1849-1914) taught ornamental plastic and was an honorary professor at the Institute of Fine Arts. Although he initially had to participate in the artistic climate of verista characterization, established by mid-century in Naples, the known aspect of his art is the later one linked to an official and eclectic taste, encouraged by the commissioning of works with an official character. Between 1898 and 1909 he was also engaged in the decoration of Nola Cathedral.
