Francisco de Zurbarán ( Spanish: Francisco de Zurbarán , baptized November 7, 1598 , Fuente de Cantos , Extremadura - August 27, 1664 , Madrid ) - Spanish artist , representative of the Seville school of painting .
| Francisco de Zurbaran | |
|---|---|
| Francisco de zurbarán | |
 Estimated self portrait of Zurbaran. Detail of the painting “The Apostle Luke the painter before the Crucifixion” (1630-1639, Prado) | |
| Date of Birth | |
| Place of Birth | Fuente de Cantos , Extremadura |
| Date of death | |
| Place of death | |
| A country | |
| Genre | religious painting |
| Study | Juan de Roelas |
| Style | Seville School of Painting |
Content
Biography
Zurbaran was born in the town of Fuente de Cantos (province of Extremadura ). He studied painting in Seville , at the school of Juan de Roelas ( Spanish ).
In the years 1617-1618 Zurbaran lived and worked in the small town of Extremadura - Llerene , then returned to Seville and until 1633 he lived there continuously.
In 1622 he was already a famous master, received orders for temples and monasteries. In the years 1626-1627, under a contract with the Order of the Dominicans, he painted 21 paintings on religious subjects, including the famous painting "Christ on the Cross." In the years 1628-1630 Zurbaran wrote a cycle of paintings about St. Pedro Nolasco and a cycle of paintings about the life of St. Bonaventure .
In 1631, Zurbaran creates one of his best creations - the painting “Apotheosis of St. Thomas Aquinas ", which was recognized as a masterpiece by contemporaries of the painter.
In 1634, the artist traveled to Madrid , where he received the title of court painter . In Madrid, while working on the decoration of the recently built Buen Retiro palace, the master moved away from religious themes - he wrote a cycle of ten paintings depicting the exploits of Hercules (now in the Prado Museum ), as well as the historical and monumental painting “Defense of Cadiz” .
Studying the works of the great Italian painters and communicating with other prominent masters who worked in the capital enriched the artist's work. After returning to Seville, he painted a wonderful series of paintings for the monastery in Jerez - the most famous are the Annunciation, Christmas, and the Adoration of the Magi.
Gradually, his fame grew, the newly founded monasteries in South America along with the Spanish willingly ordered paintings from Zurbaran. At the end of the 1630s there was a peak in the creative activity and popularity of the artist.
In the late period of creativity, Zurbaran turns to the lyrical images of Christ and the Mother of God in childhood - “Madonna and Child”, “Adolescence of the Madonna”.
In the years 1658-1664, Zurbaran lived in Madrid. His popularity was declining; despite the support of his friend Diego Velazquez, he, forgotten by customers, experienced financial difficulties.
Zurbaran died in Madrid on August 27, 1664.
Creativity
At the very beginning of his activity, having made it his rule to write only from nature, Zurbaran did not deviate from this rule throughout his life. The composition in his paintings, when the drawing is correct, is for the most part uncomplicated and contains very few figures distinguished by their nobility, placed in natural, simple poses and beautifully draped. In color and chiaroscuro, Zurbaran imitated Michelangelo da Caravaggio (as a result of which he was nicknamed "Spanish Caravaggio"), giving the foreground a striking relief through the juxtaposition of strong light with deep shadows.
In the period of creative heyday, Zurbaran successfully combined the monumentality and severity of images (mainly saints), with their inner expressiveness. In the 1650s , features of lyricism and emotional excitement appeared in his paintings.
Famous paintings
- Christ on the Cross ( 1627 ; Institute of the Arts, Chicago ).
- Visions of St. Pedro Nolasco ( 1629 ; Prado , Madrid).
- Burial of St. Bonaventure (1629; Louvre Museum , Paris ).
- St. Margaret ( 1631 ; National Gallery, London ).
- Apotheosis of St. Thomas Aquinas (1631; Museum of Art, Seville ).
- St. Andrew ( 1632 ; Budapest ).
- Still life with lemons, oranges and a rose ( 1633 ; Norton Simon Museum , Pasadena ).
- The exploits of Hercules ( 1634 ; Prado, Madrid).
- Defense of Cadiz (1634; Prado, Madrid).
- St. Apollonius ( 1636 ; Louvre Museum, Paris).
- Adoration of the Shepherds ( 1639 ; Museum of Fine Arts, Grenoble ).
- St. Francis ( 1658 ; Munich ).
- The Adolescence of the Mother of God (Circa 1658–1660; Hermitage , St. Petersburg ).
Ecstasy St. Francis Mid XVII century Old Pinakothek . Munich
Christ on the cross. 1627. Institute of Art. Chicago
Adoration of the shepherds. 1639. Museum of Fine Arts. Grenoble
Adolescence of Our Lady. 1658-1660. The Hermitage . St. Petersburg
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 SNAC - 2010.
- ↑ Itaú Cultural Enciclopédia Itaú Cultural - São Paulo : Itaú Cultural , 1987 .-- ISBN 978-85-7979-060-7
- ↑ Diccionario biográfico español - Royal Academy of History .
- ↑ BNF ID : 2011 Open Data Platform .
- ↑ Benezit Dictionary of Artists - 2006. - ISBN 978-0-19-977378-7 , 978-0-19-989991-3
- ↑ artist list of the National Museum of Sweden - 2016.