Antonio María Esquivel

ANTONIO MARÍA ESQUIVEL Y SUÁREZ DE URBINA, (Seville, 1806 - Madrid, 1857).
"Saint Justa and Saint Rufina.
Oil on canvas.
Presents a patch on the back.
Measurements: 58.5 x 44.5 cm, 75 x 60.5 cm (frame).

The sisters Justa and Rufina embrace with tenderness under a leaden sky. At their side, the tamed lion reminds us of the episode in which he saved their lives, on one of the many occasions they had to suffer martyrdom for remaining faithful to their beliefs. The women, of idealized beauty, are in a barren landscape. In the distance, a solitary Greek temple can be seen. The older sister looks up to heaven, imploring the Lord's forgiveness. The little one embraces her, conveying a deep feeling. This is an outstanding example of the romantic style developed by Antonio María Esquivel, which he applied to both profane and sacred subjects.

Antonio María Esquivel was the most representative and prolific painter of Sevillian romanticism, and one of the most outstanding of his time in Spain. His life was a true romantic plea; lost his fortune after the death of his father, he was orphaned and poor, with seventeen years he enlisted against the absolutist cause of the Duke of Angoulême, and did not live comfortably until his move to Madrid in 1831. However, in 1838 he returned to Seville, where he lost his sight shortly afterwards. Cured in 1840 he returned to Madrid, where he worked until his death. Trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Seville, he was appointed chamber painter in 1843 and a member of the Royal Academy of San Fernando in 1847. He collaborated with the publications "El siglo XIX" and "El Panorama" and was a member of the Artistic and Literary Lyceum. He taught at the San Fernando Academy in Madrid, which led him to publish the monographs of José Elbo y Herrera el Viejo (1847) and his "Tratado de anatomía práctica" (1848). He also cultivated art criticism, and wrote about history painting and the German Nazarenes. As a painter he fully identified with romanticism, which he expressed through the feeling and aesthetic correctness of his work. His style, partly eclectic, is characterized by a great technical mastery, which manages to harmoniously balance the correctness of the drawing and the quality of the colors. Although he dealt with very diverse subjects, portraiture is essential in his career. In addition to the artistic merit, his portraits illustrate the society of his time with historical rigor, without neglecting the affective values. He received many commissions for portraits in different formats, and also made several self-portraits, one of which is preserved in the Prado Museum. He also made group portraits, which speak of his fascination with the Dutch Baroque and his corporate portraits. As for religious themes, he was a follower of Murillo, in relation to his own condition as a Sevillian. His history paintings had a very personal, literary and theatrical character, the result of the romantic environment in which he lived. Among his official recognitions are the plaque of the Siege of Cadiz and the Cross of Commander of the Order of Isabella the Catholic. In 2006, in commemoration of his second centenary, the Academy of Fine Arts of Seville, in collaboration with the El Monte Foundation, held a retrospective exhibition dedicated to his work. He is represented in the Prado Museum, the Huesca City Hall, the Lázaro Galdiano Museum, the Fine Arts Museum of Seville, the Romantic and Naval Museums of Madrid, the National Library and the Santa Cruz Museum of Toledo, among many others.