Francisco de Zurbarán: 7 works

'Francisco de Zurbaran, the great painter from Extremadura that embodies the most pure vision of Spanish ascetic and mysticism, painted many versions of this theme, which from at least ten are signed and dated.'

'Francisco de Zurbarán devoted himself almost entirely to religious work.'

'The iconography developed by El Greco is interpreted by Zurbaran - one of the most important painters in seventeenth-century Spain -- using features that were characteristic of the Baroque painting of that time: the naturalistic portrayal of the human figure, the use of contrasting light and shadow and a different palette of colours, with a preference for earthy tones.'

'In it, Zurbarán presents with admirable simplicity a Child Virgin who had fallen asleep during a pause in her prayers.'

'Pacheco's marked the starting point on a path that was later followed by Francisco Varela and Juan del Castillo and ended in the output of Zurbarán. According to Emilio Orozco Díaz (1947 and 1957), Zurbarán's saints are genuine portraits "a lo divino" -- that is, of ladies who wished to be depicted with the iconography of the saint whose name they shared; this fashion can be explained by the prevailing atmosphere of religious fervour in Spain of the period.'

'He strove to make his figures tangible and three-dimensional and covery the plasticity of the textiles.'

'Zurbarán depicts Saint Michael as a "sign-bearer" rather than as a warrior angel heading ranks of legions.'