Zurbarán's talent became apparent early on during his training with the painter Pedromadura Dias de Villanueva in Seville. He financed his living with ecclesiastical commissions and became the city painter of Seville. Even after his appointment as royal court painter, Zurbarán remained a painter of tranquility, shaping his profound works without drama.
No excitement springs from his paintings, no careless movement of the figure personnel is to be discovered. Holy seriousness, asceticism and a high degree of spirituality characterize his religious works, in line with the philosophy of life of the Dominican monks, with whom the painter was under contract for the production of 21 paintings. In lifelong friendship with Diego Velázquez connected, he never reached its fame, remained as an artist quietly in the background. Assiduous and unagitated, much like the pious, reverent women and holy men in his works.
But it is precisely this silence that draws the viewer under its spell. He spreads his "Agnus Dei", the Lamb of God, in the picture, as if it had just been laid there. The warmth of the dying body is still palpable and one wants to reach out to stroke the delicate curls of soft fur and pay one's last respects to the poor fettered creature.
Much too late the work of the naturalistic artist was appreciated, when the still life painters Jean Siméon Chardin or Giorgio Morandi declared Zurbarán their master.
Zurbarán's talent became apparent early on during his training with the painter Pedromadura Dias de Villanueva in Seville. He financed his living with ecclesiastical commissions and became the city painter of Seville. Even after his appointment as royal court painter, Zurbarán remained a painter of tranquility, shaping his profound works without drama.
No excitement springs from his paintings, no careless movement of the figure personnel is to be discovered. Holy seriousness, asceticism and a high degree of spirituality characterize his religious works, in line with the philosophy of life of the Dominican monks, with whom the painter was under contract for the production of 21 paintings. In lifelong friendship with Diego Velázquez connected, he never reached its fame, remained as an artist quietly in the background. Assiduous and unagitated, much like the pious, reverent women and holy men in his works.
But it is precisely this silence that draws the viewer under its spell. He spreads his "Agnus Dei", the Lamb of God, in the picture, as if it had just been laid there. The warmth of the dying body is still palpable and one wants to reach out to stroke the delicate curls of soft fur and pay one's last respects to the poor fettered creature.
Much too late the work of the naturalistic artist was appreciated, when the still life painters Jean Siméon Chardin or Giorgio Morandi declared Zurbarán their master.
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