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