"Zurbarán specialized in religious artworks for wealthy patrons and churches, often with very strongly contrasting light and darkness. His earlier work in still life paintings led to striking levels of detail in his later paintings of the crucifixion."
"The exhibition opens with two crucifixions, of St Paul upside down alongside Jesus. One of the most striking slowly reveals itself at the end of a gallery - a huge singular head, called simply 'colossal head', which may have been for a theatre."
"Towards the end, a painting of the Veil of Veronica, which was a cloth said to bear the image of Jesus, reminded me of the (in)famous Ecco Homo restoration."
The National Gallery is hosting the first full exhibition of Francisco de Zurbarán, a lesser-known Spanish painter in the UK. Based in Seville, Zurbarán specialized in religious artworks characterized by strong contrasts of light and darkness. His earlier still life paintings contributed to the detail in his later works, including lifelike crucifixions. The exhibition features notable pieces such as two crucifixions, a colossal head, and a potential self-portrait. It offers a rare opportunity to view the works of this significant yet underappreciated artist until August 23, 2026.
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