Spain of the Golden Century / Francisco de Zurbaran       Francisco de Zurbaran (1598 -1664) Zurbaran dedicates his whole life to painting, essentially in the service of the religious communities. He thus produces many paintings representing the life of monks, notably those dressed in white such as the Franciscans and the Carthusians. Very early, at the age of 16, he settles in Seville to start his apprenticeship. It is presumably during this period that he has the opportunity to discover the works of the Italian painters and in particular those of Caravaggio which are fundamental to his pictorial evolution. He also makes the acquaintance of Velasquez who will later intervene on his behalf with King Philip IV, leading to his completion of the Labours of Hercules in 1634. At the end of his apprenticeship in 1617, he returns to his native city for around a decade, following two consecutive marriages. In 1626 he receives his first important commission and two years later, is invited to live permanently in Seville and produces a fresco of 22 paintings. Having refused to pass his master's examination and accept the demands of his peers he encounters some difficulties which are later resolved. During this period, his studio produces hundreds of canvases for South America, for the majority of which he will never be paid. The religious orientation of Zurbaran's work comes from his influences as much as from the strong demand for this type of picture at the time. He wonderfully expresses the depth of religious feeling, but always knows how to retain the human dimension, mingling miraculous elements with everyday life. Besides, the almost fanatical cult of the Virgin Mary in Spain creates a demand which Zurbaran satisfies by producing portraits of Mary in ordinary attitudes that allow him to express a singular devotion. In 1658, after a third marriage he settles in Madrid to escape the economic crisis in Seville where there is a dearth of orders. The last years of his life are sad and he dies poor and forgotten. He is rediscovered and rehabilitated in the 19th century by the romantics who marvel at his thoughtful lighting balance and sophisticated elegance; in the 20th century the cubist movement praises his chromatic and sculptural construction.