Alonso cano biography definition

Alonso Cano ()

 

Madrid and Court Painter

Known for a volatile temper, Cano was forced to flee Seville for Madrid after a duel with the painter Sebastian de Llanos Valdes ().

Alonso cano biography definition us history He was ordained a priest in , as this was necessary for him to further his career at the cathedral. Personal Profile. About Discover Learn Stories Donate. Share Link Copy this link, or click below to email it to a friend.

It was believed that Cano had already risked his life by smashing a statue of a saint, when the buyer questioned his price - it could have been viewed as an act of heresy, punishable by death.

In Madrid, King Philip IV appointed Cano to be Royal Architect and King's Painter. He was tasked to restore pictures in the British royal art collection, and thus came into contact with masters of the 16th century Renaissance in Venice.

This influence can be seen in Cano's subsequent paintings, which are softer than his earlier pictures and are strongly lit from a light source, in the manner of Zurbaran. One of Cano's most important paintings from this period includes The Miracle at the Well (, Prado Museum, Madrid), which had been hailed by his contemporaries as a masterpiece, but had remained damaged and forgotten until it was submitted to the Prado in From onwards, Cano's style became more pictorial, almost Baroque in style.

This can best be seen with Descent into Limbo (, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles) which is highly illustrative, the viewer finds themselves in the middle of a story.

Biography definition and examples He spent most of his career successively in Seville, Madrid, and Granada, but he also worked in Valencia and Malaga. Granada Cathedral. Biography on Wikipedia. All rights reserved.

Other paintings include Mary (, Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest); Noli me Tangere (c, Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest); and St John the Evangelist on Pathmos (, Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest).

Note About Art Evaluation
In order to appreciate important 3-D artists like the Spanish Baroque sculptor Alonso Cano, see: How to Appreciate Sculpture.

For later works, please see: How to Appreciate Modern Sculpture.

Granada Cathedral

In Cano was yet again to flee for his life on being accused of the murder of his wife. He initially escaped to Valencia, but was returned to favour in and was granted the position of Canon at Granada Cathedra. In order to secure his position Cano took holy orders and was appointed chief architect of the cathedral, a position he held until his death.

Cano was to design many of the features and decorations of western facade of the cathedral - upon which rests his reputation as one of Spain's greatest architects of the day - but the facade was only erected after his death by his successor Jose de Granados. The cathedral houses many of Cano's works of Christian art, including a polychrome wooden statue of The Immaculate Conception () which is sometimes considered his masterpiece.

His works from Granada are harmonious and serene. Another example is Eve (, Granada Cathedral) - a large wooden bust which is highly effeminate and elegant. Cano's Eve sparkles with coquettish charm and intelligence.

Alonso cano biography definition Violetta Livshen. He studied painting under Francisco Pacheco , who is best known for his biography of Spanish artists Arte de la Pintura and for the fact that he also taught Spain's most famous painter Diego Velazquez. National Trust, Penrhyn Castle. In he moved to Madrid to become painter to the Count-Duke Olivares and was employed by Philip IV see Habsburg to restore pictures in the royal collection.

He never managed to complete the accompanying wooden bust of Adam, this was completed later by Juan Velez de Ulloa.

Other Works

Other paintings by Cano in collections in museums around the world include: The Vision of Saint John (, Wallace Collection, London); The Annunciation (c, Museo del Prado); Dead Christ Supported by an Angel (, Prado); Immaculate Conception (, Provincial Museum, Vitoria); and The Vision of St Bernard (c, Prado).

Cano died in in Granada.

Unfortunately time has not been kind to many of his paintings and sculptures, several of his best have been destroyed in revolutions and wars.