Italian / Spanish Gallery Preview

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Francisco de Zurbarán, Saint Francis in Meditation

Francisco de Zurbarán, born in 1598, was a leading Spanish Baroque painter known for his powerful religious paintings characterized by realistic details, chiaroscuro contrasts, and a somber color palette. Growing up in Fuente de Cantos, near Badajoz, he trained in Seville and became the city's official painter by 1629. Between Velázquez's departure to Madrid in 1623 and Murillo's rise in the 1650s, Zurbarán was Seville's leading painter, primarily working for Spanish religious orders. Influenced by Caravaggio's realism, his work is direct and intensely spiritual. In 1634, he painted mythological paintings for Philip IV's Buen Retiro palace in Madrid, possibly influenced by Velázquez. Despite his initial success, he died in poverty in Madrid. Zurbarán's art remains influential for its technical skill and spiritual depth.

21

Master of the Magdalena and an Unknown Florentine Painter

In medieval art, paintings were usually part of a larger work, for example, a mural painted on a church or monastery wall. During the thirteenth century, individual wood panels that illustrated church doctrine and scenes from the life of Christ began to appear in Florence, Siena, and other Italian towns.The central image of this panel, depicting the Madonna and Child, was among the last works by an artist known today as the Magdalene Master. The style of this image differs from the style of the 12 scenes of the Passion on either side, which were painted by an unknown Florentine artist.

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20

Niccolò di Buonaccorso, Madonna of Humility with St. Catherine and St. Christopher, The Annunciation, and the Crucifixion

Niccolò di Buonaccorso, born in 1348, was an esteemed Italian painter from Siena during the late Gothic period. Specializing in religious subjects, his works are renowned for their vibrant colors, intricate details, and clear storytelling characteristic of Sienese art. Niccolò's paintings offer a glimpse into the artistic and religious sensibilities of 14th-century Italy, showcasing his skill in conveying spiritual themes with depth and emotion. Though he is not well known today, his contributions to Gothic art remain significant, reflecting the rich cultural and religious milieu of his time.

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22

Luca di Tommè, The Trinity and the Crucifixion, with Scenes from the Life of Christ

Lucca di Tommè, born in 1355, was an Italian painter active during the Gothic period in Siena. Known for his religious works and altarpieces, he depicted scenes from the lives of Christ, the Virgin Mary, and saints. His art, marked by rich colors, intricate details, and emotive expressions, significantly contributed to the late Gothic style of Sienese painting. Lucca assimilated lessons from Duccio as well as innovations from Simone Martini and the Lorenzetti brothers. He is attributed with around fifty works, mostly altarpieces, Lucca was a prosperous citizen and member of Siena's painters’ guild. He maintained an important workshop and was highly respected by his contemporaries. Though primarily based in Siena, he also took commissions in Tuscany. Lucca's work reflects the spiritual and artistic sensibilities of his time, leaving a lasting impact on Sienese art.

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About Siena, Italy

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23

Niccolò di Buonaccorso, Madonna and Child

Seated on an elaborately carved Gothic throne, the Madonna inclines her head toward the Christ Child. She raises her hand to reach for a white rose, the symbol of purity, that her son offers to her from the small basket on his lap. This painting was the central panel of a now disassembled signed and dated altarpiece by Niccolò di Buonaccorso, one of the most accomplished masters active in Siena in the second half of the fourteenth century. The size and lavishness of the panel suggests that the whole altarpiece was an expensive commission of some importance and prestige, possibly for the high altar of a church or private chapel.

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24

Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio, Portrait of a Youth Holding an Arrow

Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio, born in 1466/67, was an Italian Renaissance painter known for his portraits and religious paintings. A member of a Milanese aristocratic family, Boltraffio was independently wealthy and devoted himself to painting without economic restraints. He trained under Leonardo da Vinci in Milan and his early works were heavily influenced by Leonardo. He is considered one of the strongest artistic personalities that emerged from Leonardo’s studio. However, Boltraffio soon developed his own style, excelling as a portraitist. Boltraffio's art is admired for its mastery of color, light, and composition, reflecting Renaissance ideals and influencing his time's artistic culture.

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25

Bartolomeo Veneto, Portrait of a Lady in a Green Dress

Bartolomeo Veneto, active in 1502, was an Italian Renaissance painter known for his portraits and religious artworks. Information about his life is gleaned from signatures, dates, and inscriptions on his paintings. He likely trained under Gentile Bellini in Venice, he worked in Lombardy and possibly Florence. His early works, influenced by Giovanni Bellini, often copied other northeastern Italian painters. From 1505 to 1508, Bartolomeo worked at the Este court in Ferrara, developing his style. By 1520, he was a successful portrait painter in Milan, influenced by Leonardo da Vinci's revival of portraiture. His late works are notably characterized by his use of chiaroscuro and meticulous detail in costumes, showing Titian's influence as well. Bartolomeo's contributions to Renaissance portraiture are recognized globally, with his art in prominent collections.

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About 15th Century Italian Portraiture Painting

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26

Guercino, The Return of the Prodigal Son

The parable depicted by Il Guercino (a nickname meaning "squint-eyed") is the one most frequently represented in Western art for teaching repentance and forgiveness. Taken from Luke 15:11-32, the story tells of a younger son who squanders his share of the family's estate and returns home to beg his father's forgiveness.Guercino shows the moment when the impoverished son is welcomed with compassion by his father. He sends a servant to bring fine clothes for his penitent son and to kill a fatted calf for a feast. Guercino painted the subject on seven different occasions, beginning in 1619.Like other late works by the artist, this one is characterized by its clarity and simplicity.

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About the Artist: Guercino

Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, known as "Guercino," came from the small town of Cento near Ferrara in Northern Italy. Precocious and largely self-taught, he apprenticed in Bologna with Ludovico Carraci, one of the city’s most eminent painters, revered for his vibrant colors and emotional intensity. In 1621 Pope Gregory XV summoned Guercino to Rome. There the artist created his most elaborate works, reinforcing those colors with dramatic light and dark contrasts and strong, dynamic movement.After his return to Cento, Guercino’s paintings became calmer. He eventually moved to Bologna and established himself as the head of the art academy there. Bold, innovative and prolific, he was considered the greatest living artist by many of the most prominent patrons in Southern Europe.

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28

Luca Carlevariis, The Piazzetta at Venice

Luca Carlevariis, born in 1663, was an Italian painter renowned for pioneering the veduta genre, specializing in detailed and atmospheric cityscape paintings. Despite lacking formal artistic training, Carlevariis excelled as a Venetian view painter. Scholars consider him the first artist to consciously emphasize the importance and grandeur of Venice, depicting it as a center of international activity. His career began in 1703 with the publication of The Buildings and Views of Venice, featuring 104 illustrations that are considered the most complete survey of the city ever produced. Though large pageant paintings were his most notable commissions, Carlevariis also created dynamic drawings and oil sketches of everyday Venetian life, capturing the city's vibrancy. His work remains influential, and is valued for its historical insight and artistic achievement in depicting Venetian landscapes and daily life.

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29

Giovanni Girolamo Savoldo, Torment of St. Anthony

Saint Anthony, a Christian hermit, gave his wealth to the poor when he was a young man. Living in solitude, he devoted himself to prayer but was tormented by the Devil in the form of demons and evil spirits. Giovanni Girolamo Savoldo shows Saint Anthony with his hands clasped in prayer, fleeing from a dark, hellish vision into a pastoral landscape bathed in warm daylight.Like other northern Italian painters of the time, Savoldo was interested in Flemish painting, which was well known in Venice, particularly Hieronymous Bosch's nightmarish monsters, which influenced his depiction of Saint Anthony's tormentors. As the saint flees, his hands point to a monastery, a reminder that he was the father of monasticism.

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32

Anonymous, Still Life

The selection of subjects for this painting and the way they are depicted indicate that the artist may be commenting on the brevity of life. The straw on the wine bottle is broken and uncoiled. The flowers are wilted. The butterflies, like the flowers, are also short lived. Confirming this interpretation are the mutually destructive relationships implied: the locust and moth, as well as the butterfly, feed on the flowers, and the lizard would likely consume the locust. The painting relates to similar works in Boston and Forlì, Italy, but none are by the same hand.

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30

Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, Christ on the Cross

Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, born in 1618, was a leading Spanish Baroque painter renowned for his religious works, genre scenes, and portraits. Based in Seville, he captured naturalistic expressions using rich colors and light. Influenced by Zurbarán, Jusepe de Ribera, and Alonzo Cano, Murillo's work was characterized by realism and tenebrism. His later works catered to bourgeois and aristocratic tastes, which earned him many commissions. Murillo received significant commissions from religious orders in Seville and Andalusia, focusing on themes such as Virgin and Child and the Immaculate Conception. He founded the Academia de Bellas Artes in Seville in 1660, mentoring numerous pupils. Until the 19th century, he was the only Spanish Baroque artist widely known in Europe, with his work extensively imitated. ​​

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