Juan de Arellano
Juan de Arellano (* 1614 in Santorcaz / Pr.Madrid; † 13. October 1676 in Madrid ) was a Spanish still-life painter of the Baroque .
Life
De Arellano was baptized on August 3, 1614 in Santorcaz, 50 km east of Madrid. He is said to have received his first training in painting at a young age in Alcalá de Henares . In 1636 he was mentioned for the first time as a painter in Madrid, where he would work from then until the end of his life and where he achieved some prosperity.
.jpg)
He specialized almost exclusively in painting still lifes with flowers in order to earn a lot of money in a short time, whereby he and the employees of his workshop partly made the paintings in series in order to be able to offer as many of them as possible. Arellano often received orders from churches and monasteries, but nobility and private individuals were also among his customers, who ensured him regular income.
In his works, which became known from 1646 onwards, three groups of floral still lifes can be distinguished: flowers in vases, flowers in baskets, and garlands that can enclose landscapes as well as allegorical or religious motifs. These were usually created by other artists, which is confirmed by signatures or inventories. Only two large-format paintings by him with religious motifs without a still life context are known, which is quite unusual for a Spanish painter of the time.
He probably received essential inspiration for his work from Flemish still life painting, whereby Jan Brueghel the Elder. Ä., The so-called Blumen-Brueghel should be particularly emphasized. But also the style of painting, as practiced by the Jesuit Daniel Seghers, had an influence on his work. In his pictures, he usually very cleverly combines flowers such as tulips, snowballs, anemones, roses and carnations in arrangements that sometimes contain up to 50 types of flowers, but these combinations are more aimed at a decorative effect than an image the reality is, as it would result from the natural flowering time of the individual plants. In his painting, Arellano often used red and white accents, which are sparingly complemented by blue and yellow tones. The instructions of the painter Palomino, who gave practical tips for painting good flower still lifes and advice with regard to a harmonious color scheme, but also what to do with the floral design and overall composition of the individual flowers, can be considered fundamental for the success of his works should be taken into account, formulated.
.jpg)
De Arellano also drew significant inspiration from the work of the painter Mario Nuzzi, known as Mario dei Fiori , who was highly valued in Madrid at the time , and who at the same time made floral collaborations with Carlo Maratta for the Palazzo Colonna in Rome.
Very often he placed his creations on a plain, hewn stone pedestal - especially in the 1660s and 1670s - and in front of a neutral, dark background and applied the shadows to the left. His pictures are often designed as counterparts, whereby there are two different versions of the theme, but they go well with each other (cf. Prado, Madrid).
In the last decade of his work, the background of the picture has become increasingly bright. De Arellano is considered a master of his craft among the Spanish Baroque still life painters. Pictures of him are now in the Museo del Prado in Madrid and in the Old Masters Picture Gallery in Dresden . Juan de Arellano was married twice and had four sons, including Josè, who also worked as a painter.
literature
- Ira Oppermann: The Spanish Still Life in the 17th Century. From the windowless room to the light-flooded landscape . Reimer, Berlin 2007. ISBN 978-3496013686 .
- Felix Scheffler: The Spanish still life of the 17th century: theory, genesis and development of a new pictorial genre . Vervuert, Frankfurt am Main 2000. ISBN 9783893545155 .
- Matthias Less: The Dresden still life of flowers by Juan de Arellano. In: Kulturstiftung der Länder in connection with the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (Ed.): Juan de Arellano Blumenstillleben. Berlin / Dresden 2008, ISSN 0941-7036 ( Patrimonia. Volume 332), pp. 7-18
Web links
https://www.museodelprado.es/coleccion/artista/arellano-juan-de/241ae612-3ccd-4311-83e9-80c61fa262fc
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Arellano, Juan de |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Spanish Baroque painter |
| DATE OF BIRTH | baptized August 3, 1614 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Santorcaz |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 13, 1676 |
| Place of death | Madrid |