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<\/a><\/p>\nBased mainly in Seville, he specialised in religious artworks for wealthy patrons and churches, often with very strongly contrasting light and darkness. However, it was his earlier work in still life paintings, which are often overlooked, that led to the striking levels of detail and accuracy in his later paintings of the crucifixion.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s said that his crucifixion, painted for the monastery of San Pablo el Real in Seville, seemed so lifelike in its gloomy interior that people often assumed it was a sculpture.<\/p>\n
The exhibition itself opens with two crucifixions, of St Paul upside down alongside Jesus (the correct way up)<\/p>\n
From there, it\u2019s a trip through Spanish art, religious and secular, but all very moody.<\/p>\n One of the most striking slowly reveals itself at the end of a gallery \u2013 a huge singular head, called simply \u201ccolossal head\u201d, which may have been for a theatre, but no one really knows for sure. It\u2019s probably the best-named painting ever, though.<\/p>\n One of the odder paintings is yet another crucifixion, but with the image of a painter rather than the usual figures, and there\u2019s a possibility that this could be a self-portrait of Zurbar\u00e1n himself. Towards the end, a painting of the Veil of Veronica, which was a cloth said to bear the image of Jesus actually reminded me of the (in)famous Ecco Homo restoration<\/a>.<\/p>\n As an exhibition its a chance to see work by one of Spain\u2019s great and moody painters who is rarely seen in the UK.<\/p>\n The exhibition, Zurbar\u00e1n<\/a>, is at the National Gallery<\/a> until 23rd August 2026.<\/p>\n Tickets are available from here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n