Bartolomé Esteban Murillo

BARTOLOMÉ ESTEBAN MURILLO (Seville, 1617 - 1682).
"Christ".
Oil on canvas. Relined.
Bibliography: - Valdivieso, E., Murillo. Catalog raisonné of paintings, El Viso, 2011, nº cat. 76.
It has a frame of the second half of the nineteenth century with faults.
Measurements: 57.5 x 44 cm; 84 x 73 cm (frame).
Provenance: New York, private collection (until 2006); Sotheby's New York. Malaga, private collection until 2020 and Seville, private collection.
This painting was discovered in a private collection in the United States in 2006, at which time it was auctioned by Sotheby's as a work by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo. Subsequently, Professor Enrique Valdivieso incorporated it into the catalog raisonné of the Sevillian painter, assigning it entry number 76. The expert dated the piece to around 1655, comparing it to the full-length figure of Christ that appears in the painting Saint John the Baptist Pointing to Christ, currently in the Art Institute of Chicago.
This painting, which can also be dated to the same period, was originally part of the four scenes from the life of St. John the Baptist that Murillo painted for the Augustinian Calzados of the convent of San Leandro in Seville. Although there are no specific details about the commission of this work, it is likely that it was intended for private devotion and that, in its initial conception, it was accompanied by an image of the Virgin. The dimensions of the painting are 53 x 43 cm.
Little is known about Murillo's childhood and youth. He lost his father in 1627 and his mother in 1628, which made his brother-in-law become his tutor. Around 1635 he began his training as a painter, probably under the guidance of Juan del Castillo, husband of a cousin of his. This working and artistic relationship lasted approximately six years, a common period for apprenticeship at that time. In 1645, after his marriage, he began a brilliant career that would establish him as the most recognized and sought-after painter in Seville.
Murillo's only documented trip occurred in 1658, when he spent several months in Madrid. During his stay, he may have interacted with court painters such as Velázquez, Zurbarán and Cano, as well as having access to the rich collection of paintings in the Royal Palace, which was an obligatory reference for artists of his time.
Although there are few documentary references about his adult life, it is known that Murillo enjoyed a wealthy economic position, kept apprentices and led the Sevillian art scene, surpassing even Zurbarán in prestige. In 1660, together with Francisco Herrera el Mozo, he founded a painting academy with the aim of raising the artistic level of the city, a project in which he played a leading role. His fame transcended both locally and nationally, and according to Palomino, around 1670 King Charles II offered him to move to Madrid as a court painter, although there is no certainty that this offer actually happened. What is certain is that Murillo remained in Seville until his death.

Currently, his works are in the most important museums in the world, such as the Prado Museum, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, the Kunsthistorisches in Vienna, the Louvre in Paris, the Metropolitan in New York and the National Gallery in London.