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About the Painter Bartolomé Esteban Murillo
He was one of the great representatives of Spanish Baroque painting in what is known in art history as the Golden Age of Spain.
According to the investigations carried out, it is said that he was baptized on January 01, 1618 and died on April 03, 1682 at the age of sixty-four.
This great artist was trained in late naturalism, hence the importance of Murillo's paintings where he transformed his painting in relation to Spanish baroque painting impregnated with great emotion, even being the precursor of another movement that they would later know called Rococo.
The same can be evidenced in one of Murillo's great paintings such as the Immaculate Conception as well as the Good Shepherd in the children's representation that this artist elaborated.
It is essential that you know that this great artist was a figure of great importance in the School of Seville, for which he kept a considerable number of students under his tutelage.
In addition to admirers who knew how to carry with distinction the influence of Murillo's paintings until the mid-eighteenth century.
He was one of the most appreciated and outstanding painters both inside and outside the Spanish nation, such was the influence of this painter that he was one of the most recognized biographers of the moment.
Named Sandra, she made a short biography in a fable version which can be found in the Academia Pinturae Erudite from the year 1683.
Which accompanies the self-portrait of this magnanimous painter which was recorded by Richard Collin being the following:
“…Bartolomé Murillo seipsum depin/gens pro filiorum votis acpreci/bus explendis…”
We can describe this self-portrait of the artist that he made in the year 1670 for the longing of his children where he rests his hand outside the molding to give a greater optical effect combined with naturalism, he carries with him his trade implements demonstrating his rise in society thanks to his paintings .
You should know that Murillo's paintings were made according to clients, his main patron being the Catholic Church due to the counter-reform, despite this he also dedicated himself to genre painting independently in his career. artistic.
The birth of this artist
It follows that this great artist was born at the end of December 1617, which is why he was baptized on January 01, 1618 in the Santa María Magdalena church in the city of Seville. He was the youngest of fourteen children.
His parents being the barber, surgeon and blood bleeder Gaspar Esteban and María Pérez Murillo. This family from artists called silversmiths for working goldsmithing using silver as an element.
His father was called Bachiller for his trades and belonged to a wealthy family in the economic aspect, it is commented in a document that dates from the year 1607 that he was a rich and austere person, becoming the landlord of several real estate very close to the Church of San Pablo.
It is important to know that these lease titles were inherited by his youngest son, which gave him economic benefits during his lifetime. At the age of nine, according to his biography, his father died and after six months his mother died.
So this infant is under the guardianship of one of his older sisters named Ana who was married to a man of the same profession as his father named Juan Agustín de Lagares.
He stayed there until the year he decided to get married in 1645, then when his brother-in-law became a widower in 1656, he appointed him hereditary custodian of his property.
Early years and his artistic training
Little is known about the childhood of this great artist in terms of his academic training. It is said that in 1633, at the age of fifteen, he was already training in the workshop of Juan del Castillo, who was married to one of the daughters. of the godfather uncle of our painter named Antonio Pérez.
It is said that this Juan del Castillo was a prudent painter, one of his qualities is dry paint and expressiveness in the faces, it is said that this influence can be evidenced in Murillo's initial paintings, which date between 1638 and 1640.
These paintings by Murillo are The Virgin delivering the rosary to Santo Domingo which is today in the Archbishop's Palace and belonged to the private collection of the Count of Toreno in the city of Seville.
In addition to The Virgin with Fray Lauterio, Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Thomas Aquinas, which is in the Fitzwilliam Museum in the city of Cambridge, where it presents as a quality a dry but colorful drawing in these first paintings by Murillo.
It is important to note that this artist with the surname Esteban adopted his mother Murillo's second surname for his artistic work.
The city of Seville in the XNUMXth century
Thanks to the economic boom between Europe and the new continent of America, the city of Seville had become a commercial and social emporium due to the Inquisition, as well as the Casa de la Moneda, the Archbishopric and the Casa de Contratación.
You should know that the population had decreased considerably due to the plague of 1599 and the expulsion of the Moors, so at the time of Murillo's birth and childhood this city was of great prominence in Spanish society.
Despite the fact that in 1627 the first events of a monetary crisis began to be evident when trade moved to the city of Cádiz and the Thirty Years War influenced as well as the separation of the nation from Portugal.
Although it is essential to highlight that the following Great Plague of Seville that occurred in 1649 was inclement, decimating around 46% of the population of this city, diminishing the quality of life of people, humble families being the most affected.
Which were helped by the Brotherhood of Charity thanks to its hospital as well as asylum was revitalized in the year 1663 by Miguel Mañara who in the years 1650 and 1651 was the godfather of baptism of two children of Murillo.
Obviously, our painter was a faithful believer and joined the Brotherhood of the Rosary in 1644. In addition, he was open to the activities of the Venerable Third Order of Saint Francis in 1662.
In addition to being part of the food distributions that were carried out frequently by the parishes, he joined the Brotherhood of Charity in 1665.
The Catholic Church was also affected by the economic crisis that overwhelmed the Spanish nation, since after 1649 only three new convents were created until the XNUMXth century.
Well, since the birth of Murillo, nine convents for men and one for women had been created, reaching the number of seventy religious buildings.
But the sanctuaries and Catholic churches began to enrich their walls and vaults with donations from individuals from high society, as is the case in Mañara.
Trade between the new continent provides sources of employment for weavers, artists and booksellers. As for the silversmiths who were in charge of carving the ingots in the Casa de la Moneda, they were professionals from the city of Seville.
For what is said that this city, despite the arrival of the crisis, always had commercial areas because by the year 1665 around seven thousand foreigners resided.
Although not all of them were dedicated to the field of commerce, among them is Justino de Neve who was the protector of the Santa María La Blanca Church and the Hospital de Venerables.
For both buildings, this character entrusted our artist to carry out several artistic works. It is important that you know that Neve was a descendant of a family of old Flemish merchants who settled in the city of Seville since the XNUMXth century.
There were also other merchants who later arrived in the city of Seville around the year 1660. Among them are the Dutch Josua van Belle as well as the Flemish Nicolás de Omazur, both of whom were portrayed in Murillo's paintings.
They were very cultured characters, in addition to being in full economic prosperity, they brought to Spain paintings by Bartholomeus van der Helst that were seen by our artist, hence the influence on his works.
Just as they participated in the recognition of the fame of Murillo's paintings beyond the Spanish nation, especially Nicolás de Omazur.
Who united a friendship with the painter led him to commission an engraving of the Self-Portrait that is protected in the National Gallery in London.
He carries with him a ponderative text in the Latin language that was perhaps written by him because, in addition to being an excellent merchant, he was a great poet.
The first commissions for Murillo's paintings begin
It is known according to history that in 1645 Murillo married a lady named Beatriz Cabrera Villalobos who was a descendant of a prosperous family and in charge of carving.
The young woman was the niece of Tomás Villalobos, a silver and goldsmith, as well as belonging to the congregation of the Holy Office that protected her while they passed through the city of Seville.
Ten children were born from this marriage, of which only five survived and on December 31, 1663, his young wife died.
It is known that one of his sons named Gabriel (1655-1700) moved to the new continent in 1678 at the age of twenty, obtaining the position of Corregidor de Naturales in the town of Ubaque.
In what is now Colombia, managing to be the union between the territorial powers and the king is in charge of the territorial location from the provincial to the municipal.
But speaking of our artist, the same year that he married his wife, he received his first commissions. These are eleven canvases for the small cloister of the San Francisco Convent in Seville, working on them from 1645 to 1648.
These eleven paintings by Murillo were dispersed after the War of Independence, but for educational purposes stories related to saints of the Francisca Order are narrated with emphasis on the Catholic supervision that was attached to this sanctuary.
Regarding the themes made in Murillo's paintings, the contemplative life and prayer are evidenced, as can be evidenced in the artistic work named San Francisco comforted by an Angel that is currently in the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando.
Like another of Murillo's paintings called The Kitchen of the Angels, which is in the Louvre, we cannot fail to highlight the Franciscan joy in his canvases.
That exalts in the painting of San Francisco Solano and the Bull which is protected in the Royal Alcázar National Heritage of Seville.
In addition, another of Murillo's paintings where his pictorial qualities are observed is the love for others that he shows in San Diego de Alcalá feeding the Poor, which is in the Royal Academy of San Fernando.
Murillo's paintings denote the great impressionism referring to naturalism coupled with the tenebrism technique of the great artist Zurbarán.
Therefore, in this last canvas, a repertoire of portraits can be observed that are arranged with great caution in the midst of a simple composition of planes that are cut out on a black background.
The cauldron can be seen in the center of the canvas with a group of humble children waiting for their cup of soup and it is evident that the children's theme will be part of Murillo's paintings during his artistic career.
In this series of Murillo's paintings, the chiaroscuro technique is observed, which was being abandoned at that time in the history of art due to the artistic representations of Velázquez and Alonso Cano himself.
But this attraction that our artist feels is still evident in several of Murillo's paintings, such as The Last Supper located in the Church of Santa María la Blanca from the year 1650, although some can be seen in other canvases of that same religious temple. innovations in his artistic works.
A diffuse celestial illumination is observed that is in charge of covering the procession of the saints that are accompanying the Virgin in a canvas where the Death of Santa Clara is represented.
Which is today in the city of Dresden in Gemäldegalerie and dates from the year 1646 In this canvas the beauty of the saints is observed.
Quality that represents in Murillo's paintings in terms of the female character as well as the dynamism and vigor that the female figures represent in the Kitchen of the Angels.
You can see on this canvas the figure of Fray Francisco de Alcalá in a levitation pose and the angels busy with their craft in the framed kitchen.
Form used to solve the inconveniences in terms of perspective, providing images alluding to flamenco art as an inspiration.
Thanks to this type of work, it is possible to observe in Murillo's paintings the dynamism that permeates the celestial and angelic figures that he took from other artistic sources, such as Rinaldo and Armida.
Engraving made by Pieter de Jode II in a composition by the artist Anton van Dyck two years before the commission that was requested from Murillo, which shows that our artist was up to date with the artistic trends of the moment.
The Impact of the Plague between the years 1649 and 1655
The great rises in red that the Great Plague brought to Seville is no secret to anyone, which is why the Catholic Church asked artists for a large number of paintings where the devotion of the faithful is reflected.
With respect to this, Murillo's paintings were excellent works on this subject where he demonstrated an unparalleled art and the Catholic Church was one of his main clients.
He showed greater movement in his technique as well as feeling when interpreting religious topics with great humanism, since in Murillo's paintings he made various versions of the Virgin with the Child.
It is important to note that this religious image is also known by the name of the Virgen Del Rosario, which is why several of these paintings by Murillo are found in various facilities today, such as the Castro Museum in addition to the Pitti Palace and the Prado Museum. .
Other paintings by Murillo include The Adoration of the Shepherds as well as the Sagrada Familia del Pajarito, these two great artistic works are in the Prado Museum.
With respect to the canvas of the youthful Magdalena where she is penitent, it is protected in the National Gallery of Ireland as well as another version in the city of Madrid.
There are other paintings by Murillo of great prominence, such as The Flight into Egypt, which is in Detroit, which are part of this historical moment where he renews the iconographic representation, such as The Immaculate Conception in the Museum of Fine Arts in the city of Seville.
We cannot fail to mention other paintings by Murillo that are part of this historical moment and correspond to the genre of secular painting, among which we can mention El Niño espulgando or beggar that is in the Louvre Museum.
These paintings by Murillo demonstrate his interest in artistic works by giving infants the protagonists and he demonstrates in this canvas the young boy cleaning himself of parasites while he is alone. This work is impregnated with melancholy.
Although he will later demonstrate works in this same genre with greater dynamism and joy, other well-known paintings by Murillo are the old woman with a hen and a basket of eggs, which is in the city of Munich in the Alte Pinakothek, which was part of the collection of Nicolás de Omazur. .
A certain Flemish influence can be seen in these paintings by Murillo, similar to the images made by Cornelis Bloemaert, and to finish with this genre, the documented portrait of Don Juan de Saavedra found in the city of Córdoba, which belongs to a private collection and dates from of the year 1650.
Remember that in this XNUMXth century the main patron of Murillo's paintings was the Catholic Church and in the city of Seville there were around sixty convents.
In addition to the religious temples, this city is a center of culture in the religious field, vehemently increasing the belief of the faithful.
It is imperative to comment that the plague of the year 1649 increased devotions to religious cults in addition to renewing or creating new brotherhoods, such is the case of the Dying and their mission was to grant the destitute a Christian burial.
Without forgetting the counter-reformation, which is why the clientele that requested paintings by Murillo of the religious genre was much greater, since the clientele was not only the church.
But also private clients for which he was in charge of repeating motifs that he had already done, such is the case of the half-length Saint Catherine of Alexandria.
As an aside, you should know that the first to make these versions is in the Focus-Abengoa in the city of Seville.
Thanks to people who had the economic capacity to provide religious temples with artistic works, they became protectors of these buildings.
In addition, families in their homes also had some paintings by Murillo on their walls or by some other artist, since according to research carried out between the years 1600 and 1670, at least a third of the population acquires a work of art as a valuable asset.
In relation to the nobility and the clergy, Murillo's paintings referring to the profane genre were observed in their private collections and as the social ladder went down, the inventory in relation to painting from the religious sphere increased.
Therefore, in the most humble families or in those belonging to agriculture, only paintings with religious motifs were observed on their walls.
Herrera el Mozo arrives in the city of Seville
Obviously, when other artists arrived in the city of Seville, their influence on art was observed, and one of them was Francisco de Herrera, better known as El Mozo, because his father was El Viejo.
This young artist came from the city of Madrid after having spent a stay in the nation of Italy studying, he arrived in the city of Seville.
Where he was commissioned to carry out El Triunfo del Sacramento in the Cathedral of Seville, his enormous backlit figures located in the foreground were an innovation.
He also added a number of angels with a childish appearance that fluttered in the work, which were made with a very fluid and transparent brushstroke due to the distance, this artistic influence is denoted in San Antonio de Padua.
It is one of the paintings by Murillo that he made in the baptismal chapel of the same cathedral the following year. He demonstrated a new technique by carrying out the work diagonally and breaking with the usual, the child Jesus is isolated in a background that illuminates.
While the saint is in a semi-darkness that opens giving a second focus of light allowing an expansion of space avoiding the contrast between heaven and earth.
Well, it unifies both spaces thanks to a diffused light as well as a procession of angels in the foreground that help the backlight thanks to his deep learning in new techniques, a transformation is observed in Murillo's paintings.
Due to Herrerian innovations and in the year 1655, in the month of August, a couple of Sevillian saints, San Leandro and San Isidoro, were placed in the sacristy of the Cathedral.
These paintings by Murillo were paid for by a protector of the church, such as Juan Federighi, they were larger images than those he was used to making.
As this Sevillian artist observes that they are impregnated with a silver light and demonstrates in the white robes a visual effect that makes them shine.
Likewise, other paintings by Murillo belong to this date, such as The Lactation of Saint Bernard and The Imposition of the Chasuble on Saint Ildefonso, both artistic works are in the Prado Museum.
Painting through the chiaroscuro technique is maintained in them, together with the use of light that will be characteristic in Murillo's later paintings.
They also boast of being paintings by Murillo, three huge canvases which are inspired by the life and work of Juan El Bautista, they are known from information that was revealed in 1781 and today each work is found in a different museum .
Being Cambridge, Berlin and Chicago in addition to the series of canvases that correspond to the Prodigal Son which is in the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin.
Although there is a sketch of this work in the Prado Museum, this sequence of canvases was an inspiration for the engravings made by Jacques Callot.
In Murillo's paintings he gave his own originality and added the Sevillian environment through the clothing and the faces of the protagonists. Being an example of this, The Prodigal Son makes a Dissolute Life.
It is characterized by its own scene of contemporary folklore from the city of Seville thanks to the use of objects that belong to the still life genre.
Other elements are evident in one of Murillo's paintings, such as Los Músicos, where the figure stands against the light, making the banquet much more pleasant. In addition, the female figures stand out with their bright colors.
The era of plenitude in Murillo's paintings
It is commented in the history of this great artist that in the year 1658 he spends a few months in the city of Madrid, perhaps to learn new techniques motivated by Herrera el Mozo.
Then he returned to the city of Seville, where he was in charge of founding an academy related to drawing and began on January 02, 1660 in the fish market.
With the intention that both teachers and students improve in the drawing of the human anatomy in regards to the nude.
With this academy our artist could perfect his practice with a live model and also with the capital contributed by the students the payment of the teachers was covered and enough for the payment of firewood and candles since the classes were held at night.
Murillo and Herrera el Mozo served as president and president since this artist traveled to Madrid that year to serve as court painter.
It is commented according to the investigations carried out that in the month of November of the year 1663 it was agreed in the pronunciation of the constitution of the academy but on that date our artist had already left the presidency.
Since in the documents it is said that he was the president Sebastián de Llanos y Valdés, therefore he had been in charge of carrying out a small school in his home.
In order not to have to interact with the haughty character of another artist such as Juan de Valdés Leal who was the next president.
For the year 1660 he made one of Murillo's paintings of great significant importance as well as being much admired as is the case of the Birth of the Virgin which is protected in the Louvre Museum which was painted to serve as an overdoor in the Chapel of the Great Conception of the Cathedral of Seville.
In this huge canvas, in the center, we can see a group of women who are midwives as well as angels who emanate their own light according to the optical illusion created by the artist and stand near the newborn who also shines in the foreground and the light degrades towards the bottom of the canvas.
Therefore, a visual effect is created in the lateral parts where the light source works autonomously and on the left side is Santa Ana in a backlit bed and two young people on the right side who are in charge of drying the diapers over the fire that radiates a fireplace.
Here the study of lights that Murillo carried out is very similar to the Dutch painting specifically in the style of Rembrandt that he may have known.
Thanks to the presence of some of his works in the collection of some rich merchant or nobleman such as Melchor de Guzmán who was the Marquis of Villamanrique.
Who had in his possession a painting by Rembrandt which he exhibited publicly in 1665 when the church of Santa María la Blanca was inaugurated.
With respect to the best paintings by Murillo in relation to landscapes, it corresponds to the four canvases that are part of the narrated story of Jacob.
That he painted as a commission from the Marquis of Villamanrique and were later exhibited on the facades of his palace as part of the commemoration of the Church of Santa María la Blanca.
It is said that this series of canvases was originally five paintings by Murillo but only four are known and in the XNUMXth century they were under the power of the Marquis of Santiago but at the beginning of the XNUMXth century they had spread to other regions.
Today two of these paintings by Murillo are in the Hermitage Museum and represent Jacob blessed by Isaac and the next Jacob's Ladder. The other two in this series are in the United States.
Being one of them Jacob Seeks the domestic idols in Raquel's shop that is in the Cleveland Museum of Art and the fourth of these paintings by Murillo entitled Jacob puts the rods to the flock of Laban belongs to the Meadows Museum in the city of Dallas .
In these paintings by Murillo, his wide landscapes are demonstrated, mainly in these last two works that are in the United States, which are placed around a motif that is central in the work, for which a background with light that illuminates the images opens. works and trims the mountains.
So it stands out that our Sevillian painter knew the Flemish techniques of artists such as Jan Wildens and Joos de Momper as well as artists of Italian origin such as Gaspard Dughet who was contemporary.
Another thing that draws attention in this painting is the cattle and refers to works by Orrente where abundance is reinterpreted according to the colloquial language of Seville.
With great naturalism, Murillo also uses the mating of sheep as described in the biblical text Genesis 31,31. But it was hidden for decorum thanks to repainting in the XNUMXth century and this painting returns to light in the XNUMXth century.
Famous commissions made by Murillo
One of the major commissions of great importance in Murillo's paintings refers to the series of paintings he made for the Santa María la Blanca Church a few days before the physical loss of Pope Urban VIII in 1644.
Due to a decree of the Roman congregation of the Holy Office that was under the power of the Dominicans, it was forbidden to place the term Immaculate at the conception of Mary, so a change in the pronunciation of the prayer had to be made.
This decree was not made public and became known when the Holy Office censored some texts for said prayer. The Cabildo responded to this fact by placing one of Murillo's paintings where the following inscription can be seen:
“…Conceived without Sin…”
In addition, the representatives of the city went to the courts of Castile in 1649 to request the intervention of the monarch. But nothing could be done during the pontificate of Innocent X.
But when Alexander VII entered as the new pope in 1655, King Felipe VI was in charge of redoubling all efforts to appeal to that decree and carry out the approval of the Immaculate Conception as it had been celebrated for many years in the Spanish nation.
Several steps were taken by the Spanish nation and on December 08, 1661, Pope Alexander VII agreed to carry out the apostolic promulgation that proclaimed the saint's antiquity.
Therefore the approval of the party which was excellent for the Spanish nation and enormous parties were celebrated due to this, Murillo's paintings are present as a certificate of it.
Thanks to this new apostolic constitution, the parish priest in charge of the Santa María la Blanca church, named Domingo Velázquez Soriano, agreed to remodel this sanctuary, which had previously been a synagogue.
It should be noted that these works were canceled by the protector of this church who was Justino de Neve and for this reason he was in charge of commissioning Murillo's paintings to decorate the walls of this religious temple.
These paintings by Murillo were in charge of giving a new vision to this medieval structure, transforming it into a spectacular baroque temple. They began in 1662.
They finished in the year 1665 after that the inauguration was held with a solemn party in their honor, the church is described for the moment of its inauguration.
Where it is commented that Murillo's paintings were found on the walls of this infrastructure in addition to the ornaments in the square that was in front of the religious temple.
In addition, an additional altarpiece was made to exhibit three paintings by Murillo that were owned by Neve, the Immaculate Conception being large in the central niche and The Good Shepherd as well as Saint John the Baptist in a children's version on the sides.
Murillo's other paintings represented the stories related to the foundation of the Basilica of Santa María la Mayor that was in the city of Rome.
These larger paintings were placed in the central nave of the sanctuary which were illuminated thanks to the dome of the church.
With respect to the sides of the temple there were two other paintings by Murillo such as the Immaculate Conception and the Triumph of the Eucharist.
But these paintings left the Spanish nation during the War of Independence and with respect to the first two works they were returned in 1816 and are kept in the Prado Museum.
The other two remaining paintings by Murillo were passed from owner to owner according to collectors until they became part of the Louvre Museum, being that of the Immaculate Conception as well as a private collection referring to the Triumph of the Eucharist.
As for the first two paintings by Murillo, they are artistic works with great mastery and refer to the Dream of Patricio Juan and his Wife where the artist represents the moment in which the Virgin appears to him in the month of August to request a temple in the place where they observe snow on the Esquiline mountain.
This representation of Murillo portrays them overcome by sleep where the man is lying on a table which is covered by a red rug.
Where there is a thick book that he was reading while his wife on a cushion according to the custom of the time with his head drooping from sleep in his work.
In addition, you can see in this work a white puppy that sleeps making a whirlpool with its own body and due to the composition it has made.
It expresses a feeling of relaxation and the darkness is part of the scene which is broken when observing the image of the Virgin with the Child.
Both are wrapped in a nuanced light that makes the work look placid. This story is told in the presentation before Pope Liberio, so the scene is divided on the left to the patrician and his wife in front of the pope who has had a like dream.
While on the right side, the procession towards the mountain appears in the distance to endorse the dream and the pope appears in the work in the canopy.
This main scene is placed on a huge stage made with classical architecture and it is illuminated from the left side so that the light falls directly on the female figure.
The priest who accompanies him, so there is a backlight on the figure of the pope who bears the face of Alexander VII on his face, this set of backlights characteristic of Murillo's paintings.
It can be seen in the procession, which was painted with a very light brushstroke, almost sketchy, and the figures of the spectators in the foreground are similar to shapes that are in the shadows and the lighting in the act of the procession stands out.
Murillo's paintings for the Church of the Capuchins
Other paintings by Murillo were made in 1644 to be placed on the walls of the Convent of San Agustín and among the artistic works that stand out.
We can mention Saint Augustine contemplating the Virgin as well as Christ Crucified, both works are part of the Prado Museum and were made between 1665 and 1669.
He was commissioned to make sixteen canvases in two phases for the Church of the Capuchin Convent in the city of Seville, which were intended to decorate the main altarpiece.
In addition to the altarpiece in the side chapels and in the choir of this building, he commissioned a painting referring to the Immaculate Conception.
It is important to note that these paintings by Murillo in 1836 become part of the Museum of Fine Arts in the city of Seville, with the exception of the Jubilee of the Portiuncula, which is in the Wallraf-Richartz Museum in Cologne.
In relation to the saints that are included in these paintings by Murillo where figures can be seen in pairs, such is the case of San Leandro and San Buenaventura.
Like that of the Saints Justa and Rufina that are so characteristic of this painter due to their bright colors and the naturalism with which he permeates the figures on the canvas.
Both figures show great emotion charged with melancholy with respect to the artistic work of the Santas Sevillanas with some ceramic objects demonstrating their trade as potters.
We can also speak of the Giralda as an allusion to the 1504 earthquake where, according to tradition, they prevented its fall by hugging the image.
Well, the presence of the altarpiece in the religious temple refers to the old amphitheater where the saint was martyred, alluding to San Leandro is also made.
Where his canvas was previously a convent had been built before the Muslim conquest in the Spanish nation and now it transferred to San Buenaventura.
So the painter portrayed him as a bearded man because the work was located in the Capuchin convent together with a Gothic model to symbolize the antiquity of the story that is narrated on the canvas.
There are paintings by Murillo dedicated to the Franciscan saints, including San Antonio de Padua as well as San Cantalicio, but we will refer to San Francisco embracing Christ on the Cross, being one of the most representative works of this great Sevillian painter.
A softness of light and a mixture of colors are presented on this canvas that harmonize the Franciscan habit with the green backgrounds of the work.
In addition to the naked body of Christ, to intensify the mythical visions of this saint without drama in the work.
Therefore, the artistic transformation of the painter can be seen in another canvas entitled The Adoration of the Shepherds, which was painted to be placed on the altar of a side chapel.
When comparing it with other versions of the same topic, such is the case of the one found in the Prado Museum dating from the year 1650.
A light brushstroke is evidenced in addition to the use of light to allow a greater space with the use of backlight facing the chiaroscuro and the mean relief of Murillo's initial paintings.
Another of Murillo's great paintings that the painter called Your Canvas and where he demonstrated his great mastery in Spanish baroque painting is in the series dedicated to Tomás de Villanueva who had been an Augustinian and recently canonized by Pope Alexander VII.
Like the Archbishop of Valencia, one of his qualities was his begging spirit, which is highlighted on the canvas by surrounding him with a large number of beggars.
Those who help around a table and on it an open book that they were reading but left there to help these people because the science of theology is of no help without charity.
This scene is presented in a sober room with classical architecture and great depth thanks to the spaces that are illuminated and the play that he makes of the use of shadows.
A huge column can be seen that backlights in the middle plane creating a luminous halo around the saint's head and his height is much greater due to the crippled beggar who is kneeling before the figure of the saint.
A study of the bare back is evidenced as well as the faces of the rescued beggars, starting with the bent old man who brings his hand closer.
In the eyes with a gesture of disbelief there is also the old woman who watches with a surly countenance plus the boy who waits patiently in a pleading position.
Without forgetting the boy who is in the lower left corner of this artistic work and stands out thanks to the backlighting made by the painter who shows his mother the coins he has received from the saint with an effusive joy on his face.
We tell you that the Brotherhood of Charity, according to oral traditions, was founded in the 1578th century by citizen Pedro Martínez who was a prebendary of the cathedral and there the executed were buried, which began in the year XNUMX.
When the brothers were in charge of renting the Chapel of Saint George to the Crown, which was located in the Royal Sheds, the first rule of this brotherhood, which is to bury the dead, was placed there.
It is essential that you know that by the year 1640 this chapel was in ruins and the Brothers of Charity made the decision to demolish it to start the construction of a new building which took around twenty-five years to complete.
The Plague of the year 1649 allowed this work to be revitalized and thanks to the income of a protector with a large amount of money that allowed the progress of the work.
As is the wealthy Miguel Mañara who was a descendant of a family of merchants of Corsican origin and being selected as elder brother of the order in 1663 allowed the structure to be completed.
A warehouse of the Atarazanas in the hospice was also joined to this structure in addition to the reform of the Brotherhood of Charity that had the objective of serving the homeless.
Give them food in the asylum that would now be transformed into a hospital to be able to cure them and pick up the sick who were abandoned in the streets as they were carried on the shoulders of the Brothers of Charity.
Thanks to Mañara's financial contribution and his interest in carrying out a program that was consistent with the discourse of the Brotherhood of Charity, he was responsible for selecting the artists who would give life to the walls of these buildings, such as the artists Murillo and Valdés Leal.
In relation to architecture, he selected Bernardo Simón de Pineda and for sculpture, the artist Pedro Roldán. For this, a record of the meeting held by the brotherhood of Charity was made on July 13, 1670, which can be found in the Cabildos Book. giving information regarding what was being done.
“…proposed Nro. Hermano Mayor Miguel de Mañara as finished the work of nra. Church and placed in it the greatness and beauty that can be seen six hieroglyphs…”
«... that explain six of the works of Mercy, having left it to bury the dead, which is the main one of no. Institute for the Main Chapel…”
With regard to the hieroglyphs mentioned in the previous excerpt, it refers to works of Mercy and identifies the six paintings by Murillo that hung on the walls of the Church below the cornice.
It is vitally important that you know that four of these paintings were stolen by Marshal Soult during the War of Independence.
Each of these paintings by Murillo allude to works of mercy, such is the case of The Healing of the Paralytic that is in the National Gallery in the city of London and refers to visiting the sick.
The other painting Saint Peter freed by the Angel is in Saint Petersburg in the Hermitage Museum and corresponds to redeeming the captives.
It is followed by another artistic work entitled Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes which refers to feeding the hungry and is in the same museum in Saint Petersburg.
Another of Murillo's paintings entitled The Return of the Prodigal Son, which refers to another act of mercy dressing the naked, is in the National Gallery in Washington.
In this same country there are two more works in the city of Ottawa from the National Gallery, referring to Dar Posada al Peregrino entitled Abraham and the three Angels.
The other work is Moses making water flow from the rock of Horeb, which refers to an act of mercy such as giving water to the thirsty. Researcher Ceán Bermúdez comments on these beautiful paintings by Murillo:
“… you will be able to observe on the back of the paralytic in the pool how he understood the anatomy of the human body. Regarding the three Angels that appear to Abraham, the proportions of man…”
“…the nobility of the characters, the expression of spirit in the figures of the Prodigal son… you will see in these excellent paintings the rules of composition practiced…”
"... of perspective and optics... it demonstrated the virtues and passions of the human heart..."
It is essential that you understand regarding the series of Murillo's paintings in relation to Mercy interacted with a group of sculptures of the Entombment of Christ.
Which was made by Pedro Roldán representing the main charitable work of the brotherhood of Charity burying the dead occupied the main altarpiece.
After these artistic works, the brotherhood of Charity canceled other paintings by Murillo and Valdés Leal in 1672, and they completed the previous theme in accordance with the interest of the main protector of the brotherhood, Miguel de Mañara.
With regard to the two paintings by Murillo, he proposes actions to the Brothers of Charity to identify yourself as the artistic work of Saint John of God and Saint Elizabeth of Hungary curing the tiñosos, both works today are in the religious temple.
They demonstrate the exercise of charity. If it was necessary to load the helpless on his men as Saint John of God did or cleaning the wounds without turning his face.
Example of the Hungarian saint and in Murillo's paintings the realistic interpretation of the wounds on the body of the sick was represented with total naturalism.
For which he was criticized for knowing how to combine the sublime with the vulgar when this painting was transferred to Paris by French troops in the wars between the two countries.
Paintings of the Religious Field
There are other paintings by Murillo in relation to religious iconography that have been of great importance to mention in this interesting article, so we invite you to learn about each of them.
Regarding the Immaculate Conception
In Murillo's paintings there are around twenty artistic works related to this topic of the Immaculate Conception, an amount that only José Antolínez surpassed, for this reason he is known as the painter of the Immaculate Conception.
It is commented that the initial of these paintings by Murillo referring to this iconographic image refers to the Great Conception that is in the Museum of Fine Arts in the city of Seville.
It was painted for the Franciscan order and it was placed in the arch of the main chapel, therefore the height from which it should be observed is explained and hence the corpulent figure of this work. It is considered to date from the year 1650 due to the artist's brush technique.
In this work, he is in charge of breaking with the statism, endowing the Immaculate Conception with dynamism and a sense of ascent through the movement that is observed in the cape of the Virgin. She is dressed in a white tunic and a blue mantle according to the vision. of the Portuguese Beatriz de Silva.
Which was remembered by Pacheco in the iconography instructions but Murillo made innovations only left the moon under his feet and on the clouds the childish angels can be seen with respect to the background of the landscape is a very short and misty strip.
Another second canvas of this representation was also made for the Franciscan order, who were the great defenders of the mystery, making a portrait of Fray Juan de Quirós in the year 1652.
Here the friar appears portrayed before the image of the Immaculate Conception which is surrounded by angels who bring with them the symbols referring to the litanies, so he interrupts his writing to be able to look at the spectators of the work.
He is sitting in front of a table where two thick books that he wrote in honor of the Virgin Mary can be seen. In addition, the back of the friar's chair superimposed with the golden border framing the image showing that the friar is in front of a picture of Immaculate.
Being a painting within another painting which is framed thanks to the use of the columns and the festoons of the garlands, the Virgin also has her hands crossed on her chest.
His gaze is raised to the sky, this image being the one he will recreate in many of Murillo's paintings regarding the versions of this artistic work.
With regard to the Immaculate Conception that he painted for the Church of Santa María la Blanca, it is associated with the Eucharist, which is a fundamental element in the doctrine of the Catholic Church preserving Mary from sin.
You should know that before being able to enter the Drawing Academy, Sevillian painters had to take an oath of fidelity to the Holy Sacrament and to the Doctrine of the Immaculate Conception.
In this representation of Murillo its qualities are observed specifically in the year 1660 where the Immaculate Conception of El Escorial is made, which is today in the Prado Museum, being one of the most beautiful that the painter made.
To make this beautiful painting, he used an adolescent model who shows more youth than in his other versions and the undulating profile of the Virgin with a cape that can barely be detached from the body.
In addition to the harmony of the usual blue and white colors as well as the use of silver clouds below a slight golden glow that surrounds the surroundings of the figure of the Immaculate.
They will be features that will become common in the other versions of this virgin, the last of these versions being the one titled Immaculate Conception of the Venerables.
It is known by the name of Inmaculada Soult in the Prado Museum, which was made in 1678 by the protector Justino de Neve for one of the main altars of the Hospital de los Venerables.
It is observed that the painting is large while the Virgin is smaller because she is surrounded by a greater number of little angels who are happy fluttering around her, being a precursor of a new rococo movement.
This artistic work by Murillo was stolen from Spain by Marshal Soult, then it was acquired by the Louvre Museum in 1852 for the value of 586.000 gold francs, being one of the highest figures that have been paid for a work of art.
Then it returns to the Spanish nation and is protected in the Prado Museum due to an agreement signed between the two governments, France and Spain, in 1940.
For this, the Lady of Elche and other works of art were exchanged for a painting of the portrait of Mariana of Austria that Velázquez made, which was owned by the Prado Museum and was considered an original version of this painting.
Baby Jesus and Saint John
Another of Murillo's paintings that he usually made refers to the Virgin with the Child in isolation or in full body, they were smaller in size since they were designated spaces for private worship and with respect to the works that are preserved of him , date from the years 1650 to 1660.
A chiaroscuro technique is observed and despite his devotion he shows a liking for feminine beauty in the naturalistic sense coupled with an almost childlike grace due to the influence of an Italian artist named Raphael whom he met thanks to the engravings.
Where the slender youthful models of the Virgins are evident in addition to the delicate expression on their maternal faces that makes the use of other symbols unnecessary in addition to the influence of Flemish painting.
That was observed in the clothing and among those that can be pointed out is the Virgin of the Rosary with the Child that is in the Prado Museum.
In addition to the Virgin with the Child of the Pitti Palace in which the tender expression of the Virgin is observed as well as the playful smile of the Child where a variety of shades of pink and blue are intermingled as a foretaste of a new artistic movement, the rococo.
Like these paintings by Murillo, his interest in other artistic works that correspond to the infantile cycle of Christ was observed, such as the Flight into Egypt that is in the city of Detroit at the Institute of Arts.
We can also mention the Sagrada Familia that is in the Prado Museum and two other versions of it in Derbyshire and Chatsworth House.
Murillo was interested in the childish aspects of Christ and the emotionality of Spanish Baroque painting is evident in other paintings by Murillo, such as the Child Jesus asleep on the cross or blessing the Baptist as a child or also called San Juanito.
We can mention the version that is protected in the Prado Museum, being considered a late work by this artist and dating from 1675, being one of the best known, which was drawn with a fluid brushstroke on a silver background of profiles that they find debris.
Regarding the Topic of the Good Shepherd that our artist had already interpreted, he resorts to a children's version which he devised in three artistic works, perhaps the oldest dating from the year 1660 is in the Prado Museum.
Which represents a child with the lost sheep with a tone of melancholy and devotion, sitting behind a background of a landscape that is in ruins.
Another version of Murillo's paintings highlights Jesus standing leading a flock and is found in the city of London in the Lane Collection where a pastoral landscape can be seen, in addition to the Child's face looking at the sky gaining in expressiveness.
Finally there is the one of San Juanito and the lamb that is in the city of London in the National Gallery where little Juan the Baptist appears smiling.
While he is hugging a lamb, we cannot fail to mention Los Niños de la Concha, which is also in the Prado Museum and reminisces about San Juanito and Niño Jesús playing related to piety and is a very popular pictorial work. .
Topics referring to the Passion
In Murillo's paintings you can see scenes related to martyrdom, such as the Martyrdom of Saint Andrew, which is preserved in the Prado Museum, although images that allude to devotion such as the Passion of Christ are frequent.
One of the topics that is repeated the most in Murillo's paintings refers to the Ecce Homo in isolation or forming a couple with the Dolorosa according to the models made by Titian and are observed with great frequency in various works of art found in the Prado Museum.
Also half-length as found in the Heckscher Museum in New York dating between the years 1660 to 1670. There are also other paintings in various parts of the world such as Texas in the Museum of Art as well as in the city Boston at the Museum of Fine Arts.
We can mention the Museum of Fine Arts in Seville and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign which is not evangelical.
But it deals with sacred matters that are of importance to the Catholic Church thanks to its expressiveness where the redeemer is contemplated totally helpless as well as bruised.
Where he collects the clothes that are scattered around the room being an example of humility as well as meekness. Another of Murillo's paintings related to this topic refers to the Christ of the Column next to Saint Peter in tears.
Which alludes to forgiveness and was made for Canon Justino de Neve. In addition, the rich material used for the support stands out, which today is known to be an obsidian sheet that was brought from the Mexican nation.
This piece is mentioned in the inventory of Justino de Neve's assets at the time of his death, in addition to a Prayer in the Garden that was painted on this same material.
They were acquired at auction by the surgeon Juan Salvador Navarro and from him to Nicolás Omazur and today they are in the Louvre Museum.
Regarding the Profane Genre
With regard to Murillo's paintings, there are around twenty-five artistic productions related to this genre where some artistic works related to children's themes can be seen. You should know that many of these themes were brought to Spain by Flemish merchants who lived in Seville.
Among these clients was Nicolás de Omazur, who was an important collector of works by the painter destined for the Nordic market. Among some of them are the Children Playing Dice that is located in the Alte Pinakothek in the city of Munich.
It is observed in Murillo's paintings that his protagonists are beggar children or humble families dressed in clothes that have almost become rags but which contrast with the happiness in which they are at the moment in which they have been portrayed.
An example of this is the Child who is absorbed in cleaning his body of fleas and which is in the Louvre Museum, which according to his handling of the technique is considered to date from the year 1665 to 1675.
It can be seen in Murillo's paintings how the childish spirit is always ready to play, as you can see the child with his crust of bread and that he is distracted by a puppy that plays simultaneously between his legs while the grandmother cleans his head of lice and alludes to an old saying:
“…healthy and beautiful child with lice…”
He demonstrates the childish joy in one of Murillo's paintings, such as Child Smiling at the Window, which has no more meaning than his beautiful smile when looking out the window for a fact that causes him such grace but the viewers are prevented from knowing the matter.
Other paintings by Murillo, such as Two Children Eating from a Pan or The Children Playing Dice, were a game that was not approved by moralistic people.
But its purpose was to portray happiness in a simple game, as can also be seen in the work Invitation to the Game of Ball to Shovel.
Where the child's doubt is shown that he should run an errand or stay playing with another who notices his mischief and invites him to play. We can also mention another of his works Tres Muchachos or Dos Golfillos y un Negrito.
Where the psychological confrontation is observed in the face of an unexpected event, a black boy carrying a pitcher on his shoulders.
Our artist can allude to this painting to Martin his coppery black slave who was born around the year 1662 is near two boys who are ready to have a cake.
With a friendly gesture he asks for a piece and one of them looks amused in giving it to him while the other boy nervously tries to hide it in his hands.
Another example of this is the artistic work called two women at the window that is in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, which perhaps belongs to a scene of a brothel and that Nicolás de Omazur would have obtained in the testamentary auction of Justino de Neve. .
Regarding the Portraits
There are few paintings by Murillo regarding the portrait genre, one of them is that of Canon Justino de Neve which is in the city of London in the National Gallery. Where he is shown sitting at his desk and a lapdog at his feet with a very elegant background which opens onto a garden being very typical of Spanish Baroque painting.
He also made full-length portraits, as evidenced by the portrait of Don Juan Antonio de Miranda y Ramírez de Vergara, which is part of the collection of the Dukes of Alba and dates back to 1680. We can mention the portraits of Nicolás de Omazur that were They are in the Prado Museum as well as those of his wife Isabel de Malcampo where a flamenco taste is shown.
Well, she carries some flowers in her hands while he carries a skull, which symbolize vanitas painting, which is of the Nordic tradition. She also used this form to make her two self-portraits of her in one of them she looks youthful and is on a marble stone as if it were a relief.
With respect to the other one that he painted at the request of his children, it is in an oval frame and plays with optical illusion as one of his hands comes out of the work and is accompanied by his drawing instruments.
Another of Murillo's paintings that is very unique and striking is the portrait of Don Antonio Hurtado de Salcedo, well known as the Portrait of the Hunter and dates from 1664 and is part of a private collection.
It is a large painting and the Marquis of Legarda is the protagonist of this work, who is at the height of his hunt, upright and facing forward with the shotgun resting on the ground. He is accompanied in the portrait by a servant and three dogs.
Last Paintings of Murillo and his death
After making the series he made for the Hospital de la Caridad, which was very well canceled, Murillo did not receive commissions of that magnitude in the year 1678.
A famine season was evidenced in the Spanish nation and then in the year 1680 an earthquake created new damage.
Therefore, the economic resources of the church were invested in charity, which is why they could not beautify the temples, although this happened to our artist, he did not lack commissions from other patrons, such as Justino de Neve, as well as foreign merchants who lived in the city of Seville.
Which requested religious artistic works for their private oratorios as well as paintings by Murillo on other genres. With regard to Nicolás de Omazur, he arrived in the city of Seville in 1656 and in just fourteen years he commissioned thirty-one works by our artist.
Among which is The Wedding at Cana which is at the Barber Institute in Birmingham. We can also mention another client of Genoese origin, Giovanni Bielato, who settled in the city of Cádiz in 1662.
You should know that this merchant died in 1681 and inherited from the Capuchin convent in his hometown the seven paintings by Murillo from various years that he owned, which are currently in various museums.
With regard to these paintings by Murillo we can mention Saint Thomas of Villanueva Giving Alms found in the city of London in The Wallace Collection in the year 1670.
It is said that Murillo's death was the result of a fall from the scaffolding when he was painting a huge painting entitled Los Desposorios de Santa Catalina.
This fall produced in the artist a hernia that could not be checked and for this reason he died a short time later, since he did not leave the city of Seville again since the end of 1681 and on April 03, 1682 he died.
A few days before, specifically on March 28, 1682, he had been in one of the bread distributions organized by the Brotherhood of Charity of which he was a part. For your information, he inherits his property from his son, Gaspar Esteban Murillo, who was a clergyman as well as Justino de Neve and Pedro Núñez de Villavicencio.
This testament is dated the day of his death. In this document, he explained that he had a debt to Nicolás de Omazur because he had given him two smaller canvases worth sixty pesos and he still owed him forty pesos out of a hundred that he had given him.
Two canvases that had not been finished, one of Santa Catalina, which was commissioned by Diego del Campo for a value of thirty-two pesos. In addition to another half-length painting of Our Lady for a weaver and I did not remember the name of the man.
Also missing was the large canvas of the Mystic Weddings of Santa Catalina for the main altar of the Capuchins of Cádiz, of which he only made the drawing on the canvas and applied the color to three figures.
This painting was finished by one of his disciples named Francisco Meneses Osorio who was in charge of making the other paintings of this religious temple in the city of Cádiz, which are today protected in the Museum of Cádiz.
Students and followers of Murillo
You should be aware that Murillo's paintings referring to religious themes grew in popularity at the end of the last decades of the XNUMXth century in the city of Seville as well as the following century.
It is important to point out that none of his students managed to learn Murillo's mastery of light and loose drawing, much less the luminosity and transparency of color, which was a great quality of this artist.
One of the most well-known students is Francisco Meneses Osorio, who was in charge of completing the work begun by Murillo after his fall in the Capuchin altarpiece in the city of Cádiz.
We can also mention Cornelio Schut who arrived in the city of Seville and some canvases very similar to Murillo's paintings are known, but in terms of his oil paintings they were nothing more than discreet.
Another of his students and friends was Pedro Núñez de Villavicencio and he belonged to the Order of Malta, allowing contact with the painting of another artist. Mattia Preti shows too much paste in his works with regard to his brushstrokes. There were several students of Murillo's paintings, among which we can mention are:
- Jerome of Bobadilla
- Juan Simon Gutierrez
- Esteban Marquez de Velasco
- Sebastián Gómez
- Juan de Pareja
It is important to highlight in the eighteenth century the painters Alonso Miguel de Tovar and Bernardo Lorente Germán who was in charge of painting the Divine Shepherdesses thanks to the influence of Murillo, another artist of great relevance of this century was Domingo Martínez who served the court from the year 1729 to 1733.
Being a time of glory for the artist Murillo due to the great importance that Queen Isabel de Farnese gave him, who was in charge of buying all the paintings by Murillo that were in this city of Seville. It should be noted that these paintings are today the ones that are kept in the Prado Museum.
Critical evaluation of this artist
A large number of Murillo's paintings can be seen in Flemish collections and in the German regions specifically related to genre scenes, an example of this is Children Eating Grapes and Melon, which has been in the city of Antwerp since 1658.
With regard to another of Murillo's paintings, Children playing dice stands out, which is documented in the year 1698 in the city of Antwerp, since both canvases were bought by Maximilian II.
Other paintings by Murillo are found in the Italian nation which were donated by the merchant Giovanni Bielato to the Capuchin church and from where Murillo himself fell from the main altarpiece.
As for the nation of England, Murillo's paintings were taken by Lord Godolphin in 1693, who bought a painting titled the Children of Morella for a large amount, which today is known as The Three Boys.
It is important to point out that Murillo's paintings were promoted thanks to the first biography dedicated to this illustrious painter in 1683, which was included in the Academia nobilissima artis victoriae, and by the treatise writer Joachim von Sandrart, who only spoke of Velázquez.
So our artist Murillo is the only Spaniard with his own biography as well as illustrated with his self-portrait. Likewise, France also received paintings by Murillo.
As they are two works that were property of the Countess of Verrue in addition to four religious paintings which were acquired by Louis XVI to be placed in the Louvre, hence the enormous popularity of this painter in French lands.
As regards the XNUMXth century, many of Murillo's paintings left France to be placed in the Napoleon Museum. In addition, Marshal Jean de Dieu Soult stole numerous artistic works by our artist in Seville.
Of which he kept fourteen paintings by Murillo for his own private collection, which did not return to the Spanish city and in the auction he held in the city of Paris in 1852.
The extraordinary sum of 586.000 gold francs was paid for Soult's Immaculate, being too high a price paid until then for a work of art.
Other paintings by Murillo were auctioned in France and London, being the collections of the banker Alejandro María Aguado and Luis Felipe I, which were highly valued after the exhibition held in 1848.
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