Did Zurbarán Believe What He Painted?
Hyperallergic reviewed a major Francisco de Zurbarán exhibition at London’s National Gallery, described as the institution’s first large-scale presentation of the 17th-century Spanish painter. The article notes that many monumental religious works—originally made for churches and monasteries in and around Seville—are displayed against very dark walls, creating a somber, intimidating atmosphere. It highlights a figure that Zurbarán and his studio produced 120 works that reached the Spanish Americas and discusses curatorial uncertainty about whether Zurbarán himself was personally devout, given the lack of surviving letters, diaries, or personal records. The review focuses on a small late painting showing an elderly man with brushes and a palette at the Crucifixion, which the curator identifies as Zurbarán, though the author argues it could also represent Saint Luke, patron saint of painters.
From This Briefing
This story was covered in Biennale Boycotts, Museums Under the Microscope