Zurbarán : la recherche de la spiritualité

Francisco de Zurbarán (1598–1664) is, alongside Diego Velázquez, the most important Spanish painter of the 17th century. ‘I used to like El Greco very much, but nowadays I prefer Zurbarán, that truly great painter who is so intensely Spanish and yet so little known in France.’ It was with these words that Pablo Picasso replied, in 1924, to a journalist who asked him about the Cretan master. This comment encapsulates four qualities traditionally associated with Zurbarán: the excellence of the Baroque master’s work, the high regard in which he has been held by many artists since the mid-19th century, his vernacular or ‘Spanish’ character, and the observation that he is still not sufficiently recognised beyond the borders of the Iberian Peninsula.

A century later, the admiration of artists and critics for Zurbarán remains undiminished. Knowledge of his work has been considerably enriched and public access to his paintings has expanded, thanks to an increased presence in museums and a proliferation of exhibitions.

This monograph examines the painter’s creative vision, his position within the art scene of his time, and his professional pride. It highlights the way in which Zurbarán succeeded in reinventing the religious iconography of the Counter-Reformation through striking naturalism, a singular mastery of light, and a simplification of forms that lend his paintings a unique spiritual dimension.