Did Zurbaran Believe What He Painted?

"Zurbarán, that brilliant, 17th-century Spanish painter, is showing off the fruits of his piety (perhaps) on the grand scale at London's National Gallery for the very first time. Many of the works on display, once occupants of overbearingly towering altars in churches or monasteries in or near Seville in Southern Spain, are huge, and they are being displayed, sparely and sombrely, against walls the color of pitch black tar."

"Crucifixion scenes. Individual monks in their tattered brown habits. Female saints in gorgeous fabrics tricked out to look like ladies of the court. The Court of King Bejayzus, that is. The effect is sepulchral, awe-inspiring, and somewhat terrifying and fear-inducing. Frightening you back to God. This is cultural Catholicism run rampant, fuelled by prosperity thanks to an ever-burgeoning empire."

"One tiny fact alone: Zurbarán and his studio painted 120 works that found their way to the Spanish Americas. One word, used in my opening sentence, snags like a nagging pain in a back tooth, however. All this godliness, all this god fever ... Was he himself a pious man? Was all this to do with sincerity? Does belief actually make a difference in how well you paint?"

"Her reply is quickeningly enigmatic. Nobody knows, she says. There are no personal records. No letters, no d"

Francisco de Zurbarán’s works are shown at London’s National Gallery on a grand scale, with huge religious paintings displayed against pitch-black walls. The exhibition features crucifixion scenes, monks in tattered habits, and female saints in richly detailed fabrics, creating a sepulchral, awe-inspiring atmosphere. The paintings originally came from towering altars in churches and monasteries near Seville. Zurbarán and his studio produced many works that reached the Spanish Americas. The question arises whether the painter’s own belief and sincerity influenced his skill. A curator notes that there are no personal records, letters, or documents to confirm Zurbarán’s faith.

Read at Hyperallergic