Luis de Morales circle (Badajoz, Extremadura, 1509 - 1586)

Luis de Morales circle (Badajoz, Extremadura, 1509 - 1586) Pietà Oil on panel. 35 x 25,5 cm. Luis de Morales, otherwise known as 'el Divino' (the Divine) as he was called by Antonio Palomino, his first biographer, due to his extensive religious-themed production, is described by the entry dedicated to the master in the Prado Museum as 'a painter of great quality and marked personality, perhaps the best among the Spanish artists in the second half of the 16th century, with the exception of El Greco.' Histraining was eclectic and unconventional, but this is combined with 'the meticulousness and detail of his brushstroke and [...] the landscape [...] of Flemish origin' along with 'human types [...] and sfumato related to the Lombard tradition of Bernardino Luini and Cristoforo Solario.' However, 'the most personal bias of his painting lies in the tormented and almost hysterical atmosphere in which his characters breathe, focused more on intense inner life than action,' the Pradostates. As his work was highly sought after, reachingits peak between 1550 and 1570, having consolidated his personal style, he created a prolific workshop, which further popularised the master's figure in other parts of Europe. In this workshop, 'his two sons Jerónimo and Cristóbal worked, as documented by Rodríguez Moñino, as well as Alonso González, his favourite disciple, and Francisco Flores, and perhaps the Dutchman Cornelius Suerendonck,' the Real Academia de la Historia (Royal Academy of History) affirms. We cannot conclude without mentioning 'El Divino Morales': the retrospective of 54 works by Morales undertaken by the Prado Museum in collaboration with the National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC) and the Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa (Museum of Fine Arts of Bilbao). Reference bibliography: - Rodríguez G. de Ceballos, Alfonso (n.d.). "Morales, Luis de. The Divine". Museo del Prado. https://www.museodelprado.es/aprende/enciclopedia/voz/morales-luis-de-el-divino/665083ee-9cfc-4365-8546-998fd0353dfb - Rodríguez G. de Ceballos, Alfonso (n.d.). "Luis de Morales. Real Academia de la Historia. https://dbe.rah.es/biografias/13221/luis-de-morales