Our seafront

A five minute walk and we have reached the sea. The entrance to our beach is behind us and we are walking down towards the other, free beach and the promenade.

The free beach is very busy

the sunset is gorgeous

and the sea is relatively calm

We walk along the promenade

some people prefer to swim by the rocks rather than the beach. 

What an enormous dog

The sun is almost down, and some people are still in the sea - it's magical at this time

The enormous screen of Alimos Cinema has been erected

It's inflatable - all you see during the day is a bit of a groundsheet 

This bit of green is used by people to exercise their dogs - no one about at this moment

the sun's almost completely gone - I used to love swimming at this time, have not done it for a while

We turn right here

and go to Agioneri for our evening meal. It's still early and it's almost empty. We've been here before, but the owner keeps leasing the place out to different people so that almost every year it's a different restaurant. It's our first time at Agioneri - it's ok but nothing special, and a bit pricey for what you get.

This is our view.





We leave the restaurant

stop to watch these kids in the playing area

The film is on

back on the sea front

There's always a few people who settle on the benches to watch the film for free. I don't understand it - this is a cinema run by the council, it's heavily subsidised and costs a fraction of what private cinemas cost, but I guess there's always pleasure in getting something for free.

It's not just people who watch the film

Penarubia, the cafeteria is all lit up

and busy

Lights reflecting on the free beach

Lots of people all dressed up going into Bolivar, our beach's nightclub

We get to the crossing to cross the busy sea road, and then home.

A few days later, we're back, this time to Penarrubia for our pre-dinner drinks. This is the cafeteria all lit-up as we leave.

I love the glow, and the silhouettes against it.

The sculpture is all lit up.

So glad to have this on our doorstep.

Murillo at the Museo de Bellas Artes, Seville

Murillo at the Museo de Bellas Artes, Seville

Bartolome Esteban Murillo was a leading Baroque painter in Seville in the later 17th century. He is celebrated for his religious paintings, particularly of the Virgin Mary, Christ and saints, often idealised and emotionally engaging. But, he also produced a considerable amount of paintings of women, children, street urchins and beggars, capturing the vitality of everyday life in Seville. His early works were influenced by Velazquez and by Zurbaran.

He developed a lush, accessible style that combined realism with spiritual idealisation, using soft forms, rich colours and broad brushwork. He used tenebrism (which uses extreme contrasts of light and shadow resulting in dramatic spotlight effects, as opposed to chiaroscuro which uses subtle gradations of light and shadow) with naturalistic detail, creating a balance between reality and spirituality. 

His paintings of children were widely admired for their realism and emotional depth, influencing later European artists like Gainsborough and Reynolds. He founded the Academia de Bellas Artes in Seville in 1660. 

The Incarnation, 1670, (oil on canvas)

The moment when the Angel Gabriel tells Mary that she has been chosen to be the mother of Jesus. The top part of the composition (apologies for the excess light reflected) dominated by more luminous shades, represents heaven, with a group of angels swirling around the Holy Spirit, depicted as a dove. 

In the earthly bottom half, redered in shades of pink, the Archangel Occupies the foreground, while Mary is raised on a dais, placing her closer to the upper field. Mary appears deep in prayer before a book, a sewing basket at her feet, in the foreground. The Archangel holds a sprig of lilies, a symbol of purity, while pointing to heaven. The scene highlights Mary's deference and the delicate eloquence of  Gabriel.

Saint Elisabeth of Hungary Tending the Sick, 1672, (oil on canvas)

The saint and her aides assisting the sick, who appear in the foreground. The queen saint is placed in the centre of the composition, wearing mourning clothes and a crown, with a light halo around her head. Her aides are dressed in the elegant garments of the period and their refined gestures contrast with those of the sick, depicted as the typical figures found in the streets of Seville. Visible in the monumental architecture of the background is a small scene in which the saint serves food to the needy.

looking closer

looking closer

Moses Striking the Rock in Horeb, 1669-1670, (oil on canvas)

A moment in the desert when Moses makes water flow from a rock to quench the thirst of the people of Israel. The figures of Moses and Aaron, thanking God for the promised miracle, dominate the scene. The child on horseback guides us, pointing to the miracle and directing our gaze to the right-hand side of the painting where Murillo includes typical figures and children, as well as their different attitudes to the presence of water: while one waits impatiently to drink, another has already quenched his thirst.

looking closer

looking closer

Zurbaran at the Museo de las Bellas Artes

Francisco de Zurbaran at the Museo de Las Bellas Artes, Seville.

Zurbaran is known primarily for his religious paintings depicting monks, nuns and martyrs, and for his still-lifes. He gained the nickname Spanish Caravaggio owing to the forceful use of chiaroscuro in which he excelled. He also used tenebrism, a style of painting that emphasizes violent contrasts between light and dark, where darkness dominates much of the composition while a bright light illuminates specific subjects or areas for dramatic effect. Unlike chiaroscuro, which uses light and shadow to model forms and create three-dimensionality, tenebrism is employed primarily to heighten drama and focus attention on particular figures or objects. The technique often produces a spotlight effect.

He painted his figures directly from nature, and he made great use of the lay-figure in the study of draperies, in which he was particularly proficient. He had a special gift for white draperies; as a consequence,  white-robed Carthusians are abundant in his paintings. His subjects were mostlly severe and ascetic religious vigils, the spirit chastising the flesh into subjection, the compositions often reduced to a single figure. Backgrounds are often featureless and dark. 

El Beato Enrique Suson, 1636-38

looking closer

San Luis Beltran, 1636-38

San Ambrosio, 1626-27

Jesus Entre Los Doctores, 1630

Virgen del Rosario, 1650

El Nino de la Espina, 1630

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San Hugo en el Refectorio, 1655

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From Zubaran's workshop:

Zurbaran became Seville's official painter in 1629, starting the most prestigious decade of his career. In the 1630s, commissions from outside the city began to increase. His workshop exported several paintings to South America. There were quite a few paintings from his workshop in the museum all of female saints, all dressed in luscious clothing.

Santa Barbara, 1650

Santa Matilde, 1650

Santa Engracia, 1650

Santa Dorotea, 1650

Santa Ines, 1650

Santa Matina, 1650

Santa Eulalia, 1650

Santa Catalina, 1650