School of BARTOLOMÉ ESTEBÁN MURILLO (Seville, 1617 - 1682). "The miracle of the loaves and fishes". Oil on canvas. Measurements: 57 x 131 cm; 64 x 137 cm (frame). This work follows the models of the painting created by the Sevillian master Murillo between 1669-1670. The Miracle of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes is currently housed in the Church and Hospital of Santa Caridad in Seville. The original piece was commissioned by Don Miguel de Mañara. Little is known of Murillo's childhood and youth, except that he lost his father in 1627 and his mother in 1628, which is why he was taken into the care of his brother-in-law. Around 1635 he must have begun his apprenticeship as a painter, most likely with Juan del Castillo, who was married to a cousin of his. This working and artistic relationship lasted about six years, as was customary at the time. After his marriage in 1645 he embarked on what was to be a brilliant career that gradually made him the most famous and sought-after painter in Seville. The only trip he is known to have made is documented in 1658, when Murillo was in Madrid for several months. It is conceivable that while at court he kept in touch with the painters who lived there, such as Velázquez, Zurbarán and Cano, and that he had access to the collection of paintings in the Royal Palace, a magnificent subject of study for all the artists who passed through the court. Despite the few documentary references to his mature years, we know that he enjoyed a comfortable life, which enabled him to maintain a high standard of living and have several apprentices. Having become the leading painter in the city, surpassing even Zurbarán in fame, he was determined to raise the artistic level of local painting. In 1660 he decided, together with Francisco Herrera el Mozo, to found an academy of painting, of which he was the main driving force.