Francisco de Zurbaran

Key facts

Lived

1598–1664^[1]

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• What is Francisco de Zurbaran's most famous work?+

  Francisco de Zurbaran (1598^[1]-1664^[1]) primarily served monastic patrons. His earliest documented work was a commission for the Dominican Monastery of San Pablo el Real in Seville. This included the painting *Crucified Christ* (1627^[1]), now at the Chicago Art Institute, along with scenes from the life of St Dominic and portraits of Latin Fathers. Following this, Zurbaran received a second commission in Seville for the Monastery of the Order of the Mercederians, consisting of a series of works from the life of St Peter Nolasco. The best known of these is *St Peter Nolasco’s Vision of the Crucified St Peter* (Prado, Madrid). Zurbaran is also known for single-figure depictions of martyred virgins in rich, colourful costumes set against dark backgrounds. Examples include *Saint Margaret* (National Gallery, London), and *Saint Rufina* (National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin). Another noted work is *Saint Francis in Meditation* (National Gallery, London), c. 1635-40, which evokes religious emotion.
• What should I know about Francisco de Zurbaran's prints?+

  Francisco de Zurbaran (1598^[1]-1664^[1]) was a Spanish artist primarily known for his paintings. He is not generally known as a printmaker, and information about his prints is scarce. Printmaking is a distinct art form from painting, involving techniques such as woodcuts, engravings, etchings, and lithographs. These methods allow for the creation of multiple original impressions, each considered a hand-pulled print if the artist produces it directly. Photographic reproductions of artworks are also sometimes marketed as prints; these are distinct from original prints. Some artists create drawings specifically to be made into prints, while others become interested in reproducing their existing works as prints later in their careers. Given the lack of information available, it is difficult to comment specifically on Zurbaran's printmaking activities, but further research in specialist catalogues may be useful.
• What style or movement did Francisco de Zurbaran belong to?+

  Francisco de Zurbaran (1598^[1]-1664^[1]) is associated with the Spanish Baroque style. His work is characterised by a quiet intensity and ascetic piety, particularly evident in his paintings for monastic orders. Zurbaran's artistic development was influenced by Caravaggio, whose style made an impact in Spain early in the 17th century. Zurbaran's paintings often feature strong contrasts between light and shadow, a technique known as chiaroscuro, which adds volume to figures and emphasises drapery. He also sometimes employed Mannerist compositional techniques. The artist's reputation grew rapidly in the late 1620s. In 1629^[1], he was invited to move from Llerena to Seville. The City Council of Seville extended the invitation because of a commission from the Franciscan College of Seville, for which Zurbaran was asked to complete four canvases dedicated to Saint Bonaventure.
• What techniques or materials did Francisco de Zurbaran use?+

  Francisco de Zurbaran, born in 1598^[1], mainly served monastic patrons. He trained with Pedro Díaz de Villanueva in Seville around 1617^[1]. Zurbaran is known for his use of chiaroscuro, a technique employing strong contrasts between light and dark. This is apparent in paintings such as *The Martyrdom of St Serapion* (1628). The strong light emphasises the white monk's habit, contrasting with the shadowed body. He often brought figures close to the picture plane, increasing the emotional impact. His *Christ on the Cross* (1627) uses precise handling and strong chiaroscuro. The artist signed his name on a trompe l’oeil scrap of paper pinned to the cross. Some observers believed it to be a sculpture, possibly inspired by polychrome wood crucifixes common in Spain. These sculptures were often the result of team work, with different artists preparing the wood, carving the image, and painting the details. Zurbaran's initial fame came from paintings for monastic patrons. These works led to an invitation to settle in Seville.
• What was Francisco de Zurbaran known for?+

  Francisco de Zurbaran (1598^[1]-1664^[1]) was a Spanish painter who mainly worked for monastic patrons. He trained in Seville, completing his instruction in 1617^[1]. By 1625, he had established a large workshop. Zurbaran is known for religious works. His earliest documented work was for the Dominican Monastery of San Pablo el Real in Seville. This commission included the *Crucified Christ* (1627), now in the Chicago Art Institute. The commission led to a second in Seville, for the Monastery of the Order of the Mercederians. These paintings depicted the life of St Peter Nolasco. Zurbaran also painted single figures of saints, often as part of a series. These are among his most recognisable works. Examples include *Saint Margaret* (circa 1630-1635^[1]) and *Saint Rufina*. He also painted *Saint Francis in Meditation* (circa 1635-1640). His isolated figures, lit against a dark background, are considered among his best.
• When did Francisco de Zurbaran live and work?+

  Francisco de Zurbaran was born in 1598^[1] in Fuente de Cantos, a small village in Extremadura, Spain. He was the son of a shopkeeper. In 1614^[1], at the age of fifteen, he began his formal artistic training in Seville, apprenticed to a painter of religious images. After completing his apprenticeship in 1617, Zurbaran moved to Llerena, an Extremaduran town near Seville. He remained there for twelve years, benefiting from a lack of artistic competition. \\n\\nZurbaran's paintings were greatly admired during his lifetime, particularly in the 1620s and 1630s. By the 1640s, however, his style had fallen out of favour. He died in 1664^[1], and his reputation declined sharply after his death. In the 19th century, interest in his work was revived, and he came to be seen as embodying the art of Spain. Examples of his work include *The Death of St Bonaventura*, 1629, and *St Margaret*, c. 1630-1635^[1].
• Where can I see Francisco de Zurbaran's work?+

  Francisco de Zurbaran's paintings can be found in several collections, mainly in Europe and North America. In Spain, the Museo del Prado in Madrid holds works such as *Vision of Saint Peter Nolasco* and *Immaculate Conception*. Other Spanish locations include the Monasterio de San Jerónimo in Guadalupe, which houses *Fray Gonzalo de lllescas* and *Temptation of Saint Jerome*, and the Museo Provincial de Bellas Artes in Seville, which holds *Apotheosis of Saint Thomas Aquinas*. Elsewhere in Europe, the National Gallery in London has *Saint Francis in Meditation*, while the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin has *Saint Rufina*. The Alte Pinakothek in Munich holds *The Ecstasy of St Francis*. In the United States, the Art Institute of Chicago has *Crucified Christ*, and the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, Connecticut, has *Saint Serapion*. Other US locations include the Cleveland Museum of Art, which holds *Christ and the Virgin in the House at Nazareth*, and the Norton Simon Museum of Art in Pasadena, California, which holds *Still Life with Citrons, Basket of Oranges, Cup, and Rose*.
• Where was Francisco de Zurbaran from?+

  Francisco de Zurbaran was Spanish. He was born in 1598^[1] in Fuente de Cantos, a small village in the Extremadura region. His parents were shopkeepers. Zurbaran's artistic training began around 1614^[1], when he was apprenticed to a painter of religious images in Seville. After completing his training in 1617, he moved to Llerena, a town in Extremadura near Seville. He remained there for twelve years, benefiting from a lack of competition. Zurbaran mainly worked for monastic patrons. His earliest documented work is a group of paintings for the Dominican Monastery of San Pablo el Real in Seville. This included his *Crucified Christ* (1627), now at the Chicago Art Institute, plus scenes from the life of St Dominic and portraits of the Latin Fathers. These works led to a second commission in Seville for the Monastery of the Order of the Mercederians.
• Who did Francisco de Zurbaran influence?+

  Francisco de Zurbarán's artistic impact can be seen in the works of painters such as Jusepe de Ribera and, later, even Bartolomé Esteban Murillo. Ribera, like Zurbarán, adopted a naturalist style. Zurbarán's shift in style during the latter part of his career, moving away from austere naturalism, coincided with changes in religious art. While Zurbarán had been a leading figure in the earlier, more severe style, Murillo's art came to represent the idealising approach to sacred art of the time. Paintings from the 1650s onwards, such as "Christ Bearing the Cross" (1653^[1]), "Saint Francis in Prayer" (1658), and "Christ After the Flagellation" (1661), display similarities to devotional images. The subtlety of expression in these later works, particularly the Christ figures and Saint Francis, are comparable to Murillo's best paintings from that period. Zurbarán's style became softer, with less harsh illumination and more delicate colours.
• Who influenced Francisco de Zurbaran?+

  Francisco de Zurbarán was born in Fuente de Cantos, Extremadura, in 1598^[1]. In 1614^[1], he began his artistic training in Seville, apprenticed to a painter of religious images. The master is considered obscure, and little is known about him. Zurbarán's early work shows the influence of Caravaggio. Although the exact means of transmission is unknown, Caravaggio's style was felt in Spain early in the 17th century. Zurbarán's *St Serapion* (1628) has been compared to Caravaggio's *David with the Head of Goliath*. Each presents a single, three-quarter-length figure in life size. Zurbarán also drew inspiration from Spanish religious sculpture. His *Crucified Christ* (1627) was inspired by polychromed wood sculptures carried during Spanish religious processions, such as those by Juan Martinez Montañés.
• Who was Francisco de Zurbaran?+

  Francisco de Zurbaran (1598^[1]-1664^[1]) was a Spanish painter, mainly of religious subjects. He was born in Extremadura, Spain. In 1617^[1], he completed his training in Seville with Pedro Díaz de Villanueva, a master about whom little is known. Zurbaran's paintings were greatly admired during his lifetime, but his popularity waned by the 1640s. After his death, his name fell into obscurity. Since the nineteenth century, his work has been re-evaluated. He is now considered to epitomise the art of Spain. This view is due to the Romantic idea of Spain that was forged in France when Zurbaran was rediscovered. Zurbaran's earliest documented work is a group of paintings for the Dominican Monastery of San Pablo el Real in Seville. The commission included his well-known Crucified Christ (1627), scenes from the life of St Dominic, and portraits of the Latin Fathers. These works led to a second commission in Seville for a series from the life of St Peter Nolasco in the Monastery of the Order of the Mercederians.
• Why are Francisco de Zurbaran's works important today?+

  Francisco de Zurbaran, active during the Spanish Golden Age, experienced fluctuating popularity. Admired in his own time, particularly in the 1630s, his reputation waned by the 1640s, and he fell into obscurity after his death in 1664^[1]. Interest in his work was revived in the 19th century, and his paintings were seen to embody the essence of Spanish piety and asceticism. Zurbaran's importance today stems partly from this historical association with Spanish identity, an idea that took hold in France during his rediscovery. His religious images, such as Saint Francis in Prayer (1658^[1]), offer insight into the spiritual climate of 17th-century Spain. He also adapted his style later in his career, as seen in Christ Bearing the Cross (1653) and Christ After the Flagellation (1661), though this evolution did not restore his earlier level of acclaim. Zurbaran also engaged with the New World market. He consigned paintings to trade ships for sale, like Supper at Emmaus (1639), which ended up in Mexico City. This connection to the Americas adds another layer to his artistic significance.