Masterpieces of Spanish Baroque: Murillo and Velázquez

Spanish Baroque Painting and Its Masters

Spanish Baroque art is characterized by dramatic expressiveness and a palette of colder, duller colors. During the first half of the seventeenth century, Zurbarán's work stood out. In the second half, Murillo and Alonso Cano became the prominent figures.

The Holy Family with a Bird (1650)

Author: Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1617–1682), a renowned painter from Seville.

• Topic: Religious, depicting Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus in a humble and realistic interior.
• Composition: The figures are organized in a balanced manner within two triangles that meet at the figure of the baby Jesus.
• Lighting: The lighting is tenebrist, emerging from the side to create sharp contrasts that highlight the child.
• Realism: The holy figures are depicted as ordinary people, a naturalism that extends to the objects and animals.
• Expressivity: The whole scene conveys a cheerful and optimistic vision, giving importance to the domestic subtopics.
• Details: Features a little boy and a dog.

The Genius of the Madrid School: Diego Velázquez

The Madrid School featured the most important pictorial genius, Diego de Silva y Velázquez (1599–1660). Born in Seville, he later moved to Madrid. He was appointed painter to King Philip IV and created masterpieces such as Las Meninas and The Spinners, which successfully captured aerial perspective.

The Forge of Vulcan (1630)

Author: Diego Velázquez.

• Theme: Mythological, showing Apollo, the God of Light, informing Vulcan, the God of Blacksmiths, of the infidelity of his wife, Venus.
• Composition: Figures are organized around the god Vulcan, but the gazes of the blacksmiths lead the viewer toward Apollo.
• Lighting: The light seems to emanate from Apollo, creating a dramatic interplay of light and shadow.
• Color: A mixture of earthy, muted tones for the blacksmiths and bright, warm colors for Apollo.
• Expressiveness: The author captures a specific moment, analyzing expressions of surprise and indignation rather than stopping movement. It even captures a certain irony in the treatment of the subject.
• Details: The figures are depicted as working men.

The Spinners (1657)

Author: Diego Velázquez.

• Theme: Mythological, displaying the fable of the competition between the Roman goddess Minerva and the weaver Arachne.
• Composition: The representation is organized into three levels. In the first, several weavers work in a spinning workshop. In the second, there is an open architectural framework. In the background, several ladies contemplate a tapestry depicting the end of the fable.
• Lighting: The author uses several light sources to create contrast, with the furthest plane receiving the greatest illumination.