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
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San Luis Beltran, 1636-38
San Ambrosio, 1626-27
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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.
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