Murillo: Scenes of Childhood Book

Murillo's gentle depictions of street life in his native Seville gained international popularity before his death in 1682, though since Ruskin accused him of sentimentality, art critics have been harsh. Murillo: Scenes of Childhood, a collaboration between the Dulwich Picture Gallery in London, and the Alte Pinakothek of Munich, attempts a critical reassessment of the artist. Twenty-three of his paintings of children, together with works by Velazquez, Ribera, and Villavicencio, are presented and discussed. The authors analyze Murillo's sophisticated brushwork and subtle use of composition and color to portray his charming subjects: mischievous young boys throwing dice or eating bread, girls selling flowers and fruit and possibly, themselves. Well-researched descriptions interpret each painting's moral message and explain it in terms of its own time--delousing a child's head, for example, had positive connotations, as lice were thought to avoid sickly children. Separate essays explore the religious and social context of Murillo's work and its continued popularity--Manet, Cezanne, and Picasso all copied his paintings, and the essays end by comparing his portraits of urchins with works by respected modern photographers, including the highly unsentimental Salgado. Human warmth and optimism shine from these paintings. They appear to reflect Murillo's genuine empathy and generosity: although he was the most highly paid painter in Seville, his acts of charity left him poor. Murillo: Scenes of Childhood reestablishes the artist's integrity as a brilliant draftsman and acute observer of children. --John StevensonRead More