Vermeer and Spanish Baroque Painting
Vermeer’s *The Art of Painting* (Selected Details)
Vermeer, 1666: *The Art of Painting*, in the Baroque style, is an oil on canvas currently in the Museum of Art History in Vienna. The subject is an allegory. It represents an intimate scene of a painter painting a female model in his studio, with a large map of the Netherlands in the background. Only two characters are present: the artist and his model. It is thought to be a self-portrait. Luxurious clothing underlines the idea that the painter is not a mere craftsman. The absence of candles in the candelabra is assumed to represent the suppression of the Catholic faith. The mask on the table by the artist could be a mark of mourning, representing the ineffectiveness of the Habsburg monarchy. Natural light becomes a glorifying light. It is the largest and most complex of Vermeer’s pictures. Other strengths of the work are the use of bright colors and the impact of light seeping through the windows.
Spanish Baroque Painting
General characteristics: Some characteristic features include the absence of Italian Baroque Renaissance, a legacy that will be replaced in Spanish painting by intimate and simple composition. There is a predominance of religious themes, and a lack of sensuality because of the relentless surveillance of the Church. Tenebrism is also a feature. The most important Baroque painters are Ribera, Zurbaran, and Murillo.
Francisco de Ribera
Ribera has been criticized for his harsh realism. In *The Martyrdom of Saint Philip*, in the Prado Museum, Ribera presents preparations for martyrdom. Ribera stays true to the style of Caravaggio, which was then qualified. From this period is the series entitled *The Old*. They are ordinary characters, dressed in humble clothes. The typology is always the same: the character faces the viewer from the waist up, behind a desk. Among his most original works highlights *The Bearded Lady*, from the Prado Museum, the portrait of Magdalena Ventura, a woman who grew a beard. The woman appears with a child in her arms and her husband to the right. The painter inquired into the realistic details: the dress, apron, and facial deformity. Another example of extreme realism is *The Clubfoot*. It does not present a grotesque or monstrous image, quite the opposite. Finally, in *Saint Andrew*, Ribera represented the holy river against a dark background, embracing the cross of martyrdom, and appearing bare-chested with shaggy hair and a beard.
Francisco Zurbaran
A genre that had great reception in the Baroque were still lifes. *Still Life with Oranges and Lemons* is one of the only still lifes signed by the artist, and the most beautiful. It focuses on a wicker basket full of oranges and topped with a sprig of orange blossom. Next to it are bright pewter plates, a giant lemon, and another with delicate, almost purple, pink tones. The same cup and rose reappear in other compositions by Zurbarán. It contains a liturgical offering: rose (love) and orange and orange blossom (chastity). Zurbarán uses an intense lighting system. Zurbarán painted many figures of virgins throughout his life. A good example of this series is *Saint Casilda*, where he shows his mastery in the treatment of fabrics. The canvases Zurbarán painted for the sacristy of the Seville monastery of the Rooks are the works that have raised the most questions about their chronology. *St. Hugh in the Refectory of the Carthusians* is a work for selectivity (exam in Spain).