Description
One of the most popular artists of his time, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo was a Spanish Baroque painter, best known for his religious works as well as realistic depictions of daily life in his day. His early work was influenced by the painters Zubaran, Jusepe de Ribera, and Alonzo Cano, who had a realistic approach to painting, a technique that was adapted by Murillo. His work was characterized by both realism and tenebrism, or the contrast of light and shadow, which he combined to create smooth shapes filled with rich colors. His later works evolved into a polished style that appealed to the bourgeois and aristocratic tastes of his day, and he received many commissions for them.