Francisco de Zurbaran (Spanish: Francisco de Zurbarán, baptized November 7, 1598, Fuente de Cantos, Extremadura - August 27, 1664, Madrid)
Spanish painter.
Son of the Basque merchant, settled in Extremadura and zhenivshegosya there in 1613 Zurbaran moved to Seville. He goes to the student artist Pedro Diaz de Vilyanue Island, the master paintings of religious subjects, whose works have not survived. In 1617 settled in Lerene Zurbaran, a town in the south of Extremadura, where married and lived for more than ten years working on the orders of various monasteries in Extremadura and Seville. His first known work - it's dated and subscription picture <Crucifixion> (1627, Chicago Art Institute) and unpreserved track <Immaculate Conception>, which is dated, however, likely 1656, not 1616. Paintings originating from Charterhouse in Triana and created, perhaps in the early period (their dating and still are the subject of much debate), are in the Provincial Museum of Fine Arts in Seville (<Madonna "," Miracle of St.. Hugh of Grenoble "," St . Bruno and dad "); bright colors and sketchiness composition of these paintings bear the imprint of his youth. In 1626 Zurbaran wrote a cycle of paintings from the history of St. Dominica for a monastery in Seville (Seville, Provincial Museum of Fine Arts and n. La Magdalena). It is already obvious influence karavadzhizma manifested in the light contrasts, sculpting forms, the ability to express the properties of the material that would become characteristic features of manners Zurbaran (<Sv.Greguar "and" St. Ambrose> Sevilla, Provincial Museum of Fine Arts). In 1628 the artist is contracted for a series of paintings intended for the convent of La Merced Kalsala in Seville, where he works in collaboration with some of Francisco Reina. The pictures, signed Surbaranom - <Vision St. Pedro Nolasco> (1629, Madrid, Prado) ~ Madonna (1630, Cincinnati Museum) - greyness amplified golden scale. Around 1629 was established and a series of paintings for the Franciscan College of St. Bonaventura, launched F.de Herrera the Elder (Dresden Art gal., Paris, Louvre). In the same abundant at the event in 1629 the municipality of Seville invites Zurbaran to settle in this city, the artist accepts the invitation and moved to Seville with his second wife, Beatriz de Morales, and children. Protecting him from dissatisfaction with local artists who envy his success, the patron of artists bought it now <Immaculate Conception> to the Town Hall, was probably the painting was discovered in 1963 at the College Jadraque (along with pictures <port of Seville "and" Zhiralda>). 1630-e - the most fruitful decade in the works of Zurbaran. The big picture <Triumph St. St. Thomas Aquinas> (1631, Seville, Provincial Museum of Fine Arts) is, despite all the character maneristicheskuyu composition consisting of two zones, significant work, exceptional in its realistic power, wealth, material and color and expressive faces. In 1634, Zurbaran invited to Madrid, probably on the recommendation of Velazquez, with whom the artist had once met in Seville. For the new Cor. Buen Retiro Palace, he performs a series of paintings on mythological subjects (<Labours of Hercules> Madrid, Prado) and battle leaves (<When Cadiz> ibid.). In 1637 he begins a loop to the Carthusian monastery of La Kartuha in Jerez de laFrontera (New York, Metropolitan Museum, Cadiz, Provincial
Museum, Grenoble, Museum of Fine Arts, and Poznan, Museum), which is considered one of his best works. Large altarpiece <Annunciation "," Adoration of the Shepherds "," Epiphany "," Circumcision of Christ> (Grenoble, Museum of Fine Arts) <Battle of Jerez> (New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art) <Vision St. Bruno> (Cadiz, museum) - it is inherent in a solemn and a bit theatrical nature - complements the series of small figures of the Carthusian Order of monks, who formed a procession along the corridor leading to the chapel of Saint-Sacremento (<Sagrario>). Flaming mystic passion manifests itself with particular force here - the figures <St. Anhelma> or <Cardinal Albergati> (Cadiz, Provincial Museum) with bright white spots stand out against the dense dark shadows, their faces and clothes covered. In the same years (from 1638) Zurbaran performs scenery in the sacristy of the new convent of the Order Jerónimos in Guadalupe (Cáceres province). This cycle, only one remains in place, completed no earlier than 1645. The big picture, dedicated to the life of St. Jerome, characterized by an even larger dusky, resembling Ribery, whose works could see Zurbaran in Madrid in 1634 (<Temptation of St. Jerome>). For paintings devoted monks of the Order, is characterized by sharp contrasts of light (<Temptation of his brother Diego Orgazskogo "," Vision's brother Pedro Salamanca>) and the serenity of the scenes of monastic life, full of meditative power and mysticism (<Appearance of Christ to his brother Andres Salmeronu "," Brother Gonzalo P. Ileskassky>). This large series was the last we know of the monastic orders of the artist.
In Seville popularity comes to Murillo and Zurbaran, seeing as it decreases clientele starts to send their paintings to America. So, according to documents in America were sent cycles <Apostles "," St. founders of orders "," Madonnas "," Roman Emperors>. Location of some of them known - <Apostles> are ts.San Domingo in Guatemala and ts.San Francisco in Lima, a <St. founders of orders> - in the monastery of La Buena Muerte in Lima. In 1643, Zurbaran wrote a composition for the shrine city of Zafra in Estremadura, a great product, light in nature and have <baroque> by drawing wavy decorations. From the last period of the artist survived only a few, but the exact dating of work that provides insights about the development of his style and to determine the chronology of the numerous undated paintings. In 1658, experiencing financial difficulties, Zurbaran with his third wife and young children sent to Madrid, hoping to find support from Velazquez and obtain orders of the court. His work this time - the altar images or pictures for the speaker, often small in size, more lyrical interpretation of light and charming, sometimes even slightly effeminate, which was not in the early and mature works of the master (<Scourging of Christ>, 1661, p. In Jadraque; <maldentsem Madonna and John the Baptist> Bilbao, the Museum of Fine Arts; <Immaculate Conception>, 1661, p. in Lannion, near Bordeaux, and the Budapest Museum of Fine Arts). Death overtook Zurbaran in poverty, as can be seen on the inventory of his property.
Zurbaran - one of the main representatives of the Spanish school of painting,
artist, perhaps best embodied some features <golden age>: rough realism, full of human simplicity, profound knowledge of the monastic spiritualism in its most exalted forms, strict adherence to the concept, love of detail, the inconspicuous objects of everyday reality - all this to determine <primitivist> spirit of the artist. It should be noted, and his desire, especially youth, to the broad shape and volume, which was reflected in the great songs <Crucifixion> (1627, Chicago Art Institute) - in the twilight of the chapel, which placed her Seville Dominicans, this picture <perceived as Sculpture>. Same volumetric characteristic of the holy garments (<St. Elizabeth of Portugal> Madrid, Prado; <St. Margaret>, London, Nat. Gal.). His love of detail apparent in the big picture, where there is always a fragment of a still life (a book or a flower pot), and especially in some Christian scenes (<Mary with the infant in ecstasy> Jerez de la Frontera, the board; <Infant Jesus , injured by a crown of thorns> Cleveland Museum, and Sevilla, the assembly Sanchez Ramos), and a few <bodegonah> cup, apple, lemon, - is considered a masterpiece of the genre (1633, Pasadena, Norton Simon Foundation, Madrid, Prado, Barcelona Museum of Fine Arts, Catalonia). In addition, Zurbaran had great skill portrait (a series of portraits <Doctors of La Merced> (Madrid, Academy SanFernando; <Doctor of Salamanca>, Boston, Gardner Museum). In his compositions, the artist often resorted to by the Flemish prints, but the severity and silence , color and surprising resignation of his naturalism put Zurbaran in the number of masters of the XVII century. most of all touched by the modern sensibility.
His son, Juan Zurbaran (1620, Llerena, Badajoz province - 1649, Seville), was a pupil of his father. His work is known for three <Still Life> (1639, Bordeaux, private collection, 1640, Kiev, Museum of Western Art, 1645, Myantlya, Finland, Foundation G. Serlahius). The artist was also the author of unpreserved paintings on religious themes. The style of Juan is very similar manner, the father, with whom he probably worked a lot. He died of the plague in 1649.